Cost of the Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme

Written PQ 5500. Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the total cost of developing and maintaining the IT systems, helplines and other processes to disburse Community Development Council Vouchers, including man-hours for civil servants tasked from their other roles; and (b) what is the total cost of onboarding merchants to the system.

1. The Community Development Councils (CDCs) first launched the paper CDC Vouchers Scheme in June 2020 to help lower-income households defray their daily expenses and, at the same time, support local merchants and hawkers affected by the pandemic. Evolving from paper to digital, the CDC Vouchers Scheme was scaled up and launched nationwide in December 2021. The latest and fourth digital tranche launched on 3 January 2024, aims to help Singaporean households cope with the cost of living and strengthen support for heartland hawkers and merchants.

2. The evolution of the Scheme from a paper voucher format to a digital one was driven by a spirit of innovation and collaboration among all stakeholders. The five CDCs and the People's Association (PA) worked closely with Government agencies like GovTech, IMDA, MCI and ESG, and various community partners, including the Federation of Merchant Association Singapore (FMAS) and merchant/hawker associations. Together, we leveraged technology to design an inclusive and seamless digital voucher experience for residents and merchants alike. 

3. To ensure the Scheme is sustainable and cost-effective, the CDCs deployed a whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach and used existing Government resources and systems, such as GovTech's RedeemSG (RSG) and GoWhere feature and SG Digital Office's Digital Ambassadors. Together, we will continue to improve the Scheme to serve our Singaporean households.