Shoppers browse merchandise in a shopping mall on Orchard Road, in Singapore Dec. 23, 2022. Photo by Reuters
Nearly 90%, or 1.2 million, of Singaporean households have claimed the S$300 (US$220) worth of Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers launched earlier this month to help with daily expenses.
Over S$132 million worth of these vouchers have been spent, Low Yen Ling, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and also Trade and Industry, said in a Facebook post on Friday.
The recent round of vouchers, launched on Jan. 3, marks the sixth distribution under the CDC voucher scheme, which was designed to help Singaporean households manage living costs and support hawkers and heartland merchants affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
They are valid until Dec. 31, 2025, with half redeemable at participating hawker stalls and heartland merchants while the rest can be used at supermarkets, CNA reported.
Some 23,000 merchants and eight supermarket chains with around 400 outlets are involved in the scheme.
Several coffee shops also started accepting the vouchers last year, offering Singaporeans more options for affordable meals, Low said.
“The growth and success of the CDC Vouchers Scheme reflect the vibrant collaboration between our participating merchants, dedicated partners and passionate volunteers,” she noted.
Around 97% of the city-state’s 1.33 million households claimed their vouchers last year, consisting of S$500 in January and S$300 in June. By the end of 2024, about 97.5% of the distributed vouchers had been spent.
The latest tranche of vouchers was among the first events in 2025 organized by the CDC to commence the celebrations for Singapore’s diamond jubilee, or SG60, The Straits Times quoted Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong as saying at their launch. SG60 marks Singapore’s 60th year of independence.
