Update on Redemption of Community Development Council Vouchers

71 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth since the launch of the Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers scheme on 13 December 2021 (a) how many Singaporean households have claimed their $100 CDC vouchers; (b) what is the total value redeemed; (c) how many Singaporean households requested for their CDC vouchers to be printed; and (d) how is the Government reaching out to households that have not claimed their vouchers, especially residents who are not technologically savvy.

Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The five Community Development Councils (CDCs) launched the $130 million CDC Vouchers Scheme on 13 December 2021 to thank Singaporeans for their sense of solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic and to support hawkers and heartland merchants affected by the pandemic. Up to 1.3 million Singaporean households will each receive $100 in CDC vouchers which can be spent at the participating hawkers and heartland merchants. This Scheme is part of the $900 million Household Support Package announced in Budget 2021.

We are heartened by the keen response from Singaporean households who have claimed their CDC vouchers thus far. Within one month of the launch of the scheme, more than three-quarters of the 1.3 million Singaporean households have successfully claimed their vouchers and over $28 million worth of vouchers have been spent. This speedy response was also possible because of the use of the digital platform for claims and spending. Feedback from merchants indicates that the CDC vouchers have boosted their businesses significantly.

To ensure all Singaporean households can enjoy the benefits of the CDC Vouchers Scheme, help is readily available at Community Centres/Clubs (CCs). Seniors without family members to help them claim their CDC vouchers, residents without smartphones or those who are digitally less savvy, may go to their nearest Community Centre/Club (CC) for assistance to claim the digital vouchers and/or request for the CDC vouchers to be printed.

Besides the CCs, assistance to guide residents in claiming the CDC vouchers is also available at selected Residents’ Committee (RC)/Residents’ Network (RN) Centres located in areas with a higher concentration of elderly persons. In addition, Digital Ambassadors at the SG Digital community hubs found in selected CCs and public libraries island-wide are at hand to assist residents in this area.

Further, our grassroots volunteers who reach out to residents and seniors in their ongoing community engagement efforts are also able to offer assistance. The Silver Generation Ambassadors will guide seniors in claiming the vouchers or direct them to the nearest CCs for help. To reach out to as many Singaporean households as possible, we are continuing to publicise the CDC Vouchers Scheme on digital display panels at HDB lift landings, newspaper print ads and the CDCs’ social media channels.

To encourage and make it easier for Singaporean households to spend their vouchers, the five CDCs recently launched the CDC Vouchers Merchants Go Where online search function on 23 December 2021 in partnership with Government Technology Agency (GovTech). With this, Singaporeans can now easily find the CDC Voucher Scheme participating hawkers and heartland merchants nearest to them. This complements our other efforts to identify these participating outlets with the use of decals and displaying banners in areas where clusters of participating businesses are located, as well as tapping on social media channels. The CDC Vouchers Merchants Go Where listing is also updated regularly.

Since its launch, feedback from residents and participating hawkers and heartland merchants on the CDC Voucher Scheme has been positive. Residents have benefited from the ease and convenience of claiming and spending their digital vouchers and merchants have welcomed the seamless and responsive digital interface for sales.

We wish to thank all Singaporeans for their support and participation in the CDC Vouchers Scheme.