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Tag: households

  • Ease Your Cost-of-Living: Singaporean Households Grab $390 Support Vouchers!

    Ease Your Cost-of-Living: Singaporean Households Grab $390 Support Vouchers!

    From June 11, all Singaporean households will be eligible to receive S$500 (US$380) in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers. This initiative is set to ease the financial burden of living costs for approximately 1.38 million households across the country.

    Voucher Validity and Usage

    The CDC vouchers can be claimed online via the official website and remain valid until the end of 2027. They can be used across a broad range of establishments, half of which are participating local merchants and hawkers. The remaining vouchers are applicable at around 400 outlets run by eight major supermarket chains throughout Singapore. These include Ang Mo Supermarket, Cold Storage, Giant Singapore, HAO Mart, NTUC FairPrice, Prime Supermarket, Sheng Siong, and U Stars Supermarket.

    This allotment of vouchers was originally set to be distributed in January 2027, as per Singapore’s 2026 national budget. However, it was advanced by six months to help households manage the cost-of-living pressures exacerbated by the ongoing Middle East conflict.

    About the Voucher Scheme

    The CDC voucher program was established in 2020 and expanded the following year. It was devised to aid households in managing living expenses while simultaneously supporting businesses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. These vouchers have been distributed annually, with this latest disbursement marking the ninth cycle.

    As of June 3, more than $4.64 billion has been utilized through the previous eight CDC voucher rounds and two rounds of SG60 vouchers. The SG60 vouchers were similarly designed and distributed last year in celebration of Singapore’s 60th anniversary. About $2.43 billion, or 52% of the total sum, was spent at local merchants and hawkers, while the remaining was used in supermarkets.

    Over 94% of the 1.36 million eligible households claimed the most recent S$300 voucher tranche disbursed in January. More than 80% of these claimed vouchers have already been spent, indicating a high utilization rate. The CDC voucher scheme has proven to be both practical and accessible to the Singaporean populace.

    Alongside the CDC vouchers, a S$200 increase to a cash handout scheme known as the Cost-of-Living Special Payment was announced in April. Consequently, qualifying Singaporean adults will receive a payout of S$400-600 in September, an increase from the previous S$200-400.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the purpose of the CDC voucher scheme?
    The CDC voucher scheme was designed to assist households in coping with living costs while also supporting local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Where can the CDC vouchers be used?
    Half of the vouchers can be used at participating local merchants and hawkers, while the remainder can be spent at around 400 outlets run by eight major supermarket chains throughout Singapore.

    When will eligible Singaporean adults receive the Cost-of-Living Special Payment?
    Eligible Singaporean adults will receive the Cost-of-Living Special Payment, which has been increased to S$400-600, in September.

  • Ease Your Commute: Singapore Offers $46 Public Transport Vouchers to Qualifying Households

    Ease Your Commute: Singapore Offers $46 Public Transport Vouchers to Qualifying Households

    Singaporean households that meet the eligibility criteria can now submit their applications for public transport vouchers valued at S$60 (equivalent to US$46). These vouchers are intended to alleviate the increased cost of commuting.

    Details of the Voucher Scheme

    The vouchers became available on Tuesday and will continue to be so until October 31. The eligibility requirement is set at a monthly household income per person of S$1,800 or lower.

    This move signifies the second phase of the program. The first round of vouchers was issued last month, benefitting approximately 300,000 households.

    In the current round, households that did not previously receive a voucher and those seeking additional assistance, including households that do not meet the income requirement, can apply. Applications can be submitted either online or in person at local community centers and clubs.

    These vouchers can be applied towards topping up fare cards or purchasing monthly passes. They are redeemable until March 31, 2027.

    The main goal of the initiative is to assist lower-income families in counterbalancing the recent increase in public transport fares.

    Changes in Public Transport Fares

    The basic bus and train card fares for adults in the city-state have seen a hike of 9-10 cents per trip, an approximate increase of 5% based on distance. At the same time, the express bus services have levied a surcharge, marking its first-ever introduction.

    In addition to the vouchers, the cost of monthly passes has been cut by 5% for adults, senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities as a measure to support frequent users of public transit.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the purpose of the public transport vouchers?
    The vouchers are intended to help lower-income families mitigate the impact of the recent increase in public transportation fares.

    Who is eligible to apply for these vouchers?
    Families with a monthly household income per person of S$1,800 or lower can apply for these vouchers. In the latest round, even those households that didn’t receive a voucher in the first round or do not meet the income requirement can apply for additional assistance.

    How can these vouchers be used?
    These vouchers can be used to top up fare cards or to purchase monthly passes. They are redeemable until March 31, 2027.

  • 950,000+ Singaporean Households Set to Enjoy Utility Rebates Up to $150 This October!

    950,000+ Singaporean Households Set to Enjoy Utility Rebates Up to $150 This October!

    Over 950,000 households in Singapore’s public Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats are set to receive utility bill rebates ranging from S$110 to S$190 (US$86 to US$150) this October, aimed at easing the financial burden of rising living costs. In addition to these rebates, eligible families will also benefit from service and conservancy charge (S&CC) rebates, potentially equating to one month of waived fees.

    A striking 80% of Singapore’s residents call HDB flats their home. The S&CC fees collected contribute to essential services such as cleaning, landscaping, waste management, pest control, and the upkeep of electrical systems within the community. The specific amount of rebates depends on the type of HDB unit. For instance, residents of one- and two-room flats will enjoy the maximum rebate of S$190 alongside a full month’s worth of S&CC rebates. Conversely, those residing in larger executive or multi-generation units will see utility rebates of S$110 and about half a month’s S&CC rebate.

    To qualify for these rebates, households must meet certain criteria, such as not owning more than one property, and at least one member must be a Singaporean owner or occupant. Importantly, these rebates will be credited automatically to recipients’ accounts managed by local town councils and the national energy provider.

    These utility and S&CC rebates are part of Singapore’s ongoing GST Voucher scheme, designed to support lower- and middle-income families facing the challenges of escalating living expenses and a higher goods and services tax. Payments are made quarterly in April, July, October, and January.

    Looking ahead to the upcoming fiscal year from April 2025 to March 2026, eligible households could receive up to S$760 in utility rebates and as much as three and a half months of S&CC rebates. The recent announcement comes at a time when Singaporeans are bracing for a slight rise in electricity costs; shortly, the national grid operator SP Group reported a modest increase of 0.3% in electricity tariffs, resulting in an additional monthly cost of about S$0.31 for a typical family in a four-room HDB flat.

    As the cost of living continues to rise, this financial support is a crucial lifeline for many families navigating the urban landscape of Singapore.

    Questions & Answers

    How many households in Singapore will benefit from the utility rebates?
    More than 950,000 households living in HDB flats will receive the utility bill rebates this October.

    What factors determine the amount of the utility rebate?
    The amount of the rebate varies based on the type of HDB flat, with one- and two-room units receiving up to S$190, while larger executive or multi-generation units will receive S$110.

    What is the GST Voucher scheme?
    The GST Voucher scheme is a government initiative to assist lower- and middle-income households with rising living costs, providing support through utility and service charges, disbursed quarterly.

  • Vietnam gives second electricity discount as Covid-19 relief

    Vietnam gives second electricity discount as Covid-19 relief

    The government has cut electricity prices by 10 percent for the year’s last quarter to support economic recovery from Covid-19 impacts.

    The discount applies to businesses and households for a maximum of 300-kilowatt-hour consumption per month from October to December. Consumption above this limit will attract normal prices.

    Covid-19 quarantine centers will get a 100 percent discount on their electricity bills, while medical facilities that test and treat Covid-19 patients can enjoy getting a 20 percent discount.

    The government had already given a 10 percent discount in the second quarter, which was estimated to cost the state coffers nearly VND11 trillion ($476 million).

    The discounts came as Vietnam’s economy was badly hurt by the Covid-19 pandemic, with key sectors posted drastically reduced or even negative growth.

    In the first nine months, 31.8 million workers were affected by the pandemic, losing their jobs or having their working hours reduced, according to the General Statistics Office.

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  • Five million more households to use gas for fuel

    Five million more households to use gas for fuel

    The government hopes to built gas pipe networks for 5 million household consumers in the next 10 years at a cost of Rp70 trillion.

    Utilization of gas as household fuel is more efficient, said Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said, when commissioning the ground breaking ceremony to mark gas network projects here on Monday.

    In five years or by 2019 networks of gas pipes are expected to be already installed for 1.3 million households with an investment of Rp18.2 trillion.

    The projects would be financed with funds from the state budget, state-owned energy company PT Pertamina and state owned gas company Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN).

    With 1.3 million households using gas for fuel , the country is estimated to save Rp936 billion a year, the minister said.

    Most households and commercial consumers in urban areas in the country use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is relatively expensive.

    Based on the availability of gas and infrastructure of transmission pipelines in 38 cities , gas could be distributed to around 7.9 million households with a cost of Rp111.3 trillion, Sudirman said.

    So far the government already built gas pipe networks serving 204,766 households in a number of cities in Indonesia including pipes built by Pertamina and PGN.