CDC Vouchers Scheme Proximity Thresholds for Heartland Merchants Onboarding Exceptions
Ministry of Culture, Community and YouthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the objective proximity or density thresholds used to assess the eligibility of businesses for the CDC Vouchers Scheme on a case-by-case basis. MP Ms Diana Pang Li Yen inquired about exceptions for merchants located in malls and whether specific assessment thresholds are published for transparency. Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong Chun Fai clarified that merchants in commercial malls are not eligible for onboarding to maintain focus on supporting heartland shops. He highlighted that the policy intent centers on assisting hawkers and merchants in Housing and Development Board estates, where over 24,000 businesses have been onboarded. Minister Edwin Tong Chun Fai explained that the current separate voucher categories serve to balance household expense relief with targeted support for local heartland merchants.
Transcript
36 Ms Diana Pang Li Yen asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what objective proximity or density thresholds are used to assess that few or no heartland merchants are found within or near residential areas when onboarding businesses onto the CDC Vouchers Scheme on a case-by-case basis; (b) how many participating merchants are located in malls under this exception; and (c) whether these thresholds will be published to ensure fairness to nearby heartland shops.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: I am answering in my capacity as the Minister charged with the responsibility for the People's Association.
The Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers scheme was first introduced in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of the scheme are to help Singaporean households with daily expenses and to support hawkers and heartland merchants.
In 2023, we responded to residents' requests to further alleviate their expenses by introducing a separate CDC Supermarket Vouchers – for spending at the eight participating supermarkets with over 400 outlets. The separate hawker and heartland merchant category and supermarket category serve to strike a balance between supporting Singaporean households with their daily expenses and supporting hawkers and heartland merchants.
In line with the policy intent and in fairness to heartland shops, we focus on onboarding hawkers and merchants in Housing and Development Board heartlands and merchants in commercial malls are not eligible to be onboarded. To date, we have onboarded over 24,000 hawkers and heartland merchants.