SINGAPORE: Singapore citizens aged 21 and up will receive cash vouchers of up to S$800 (US$600) each to mark the country's 60th birthday, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Tuesday (Feb 18).
As part of an SG60 package, there will also be a personal income tax rebate of 60 per cent for the 2025 year of assessment, along with a baby gift for newborns this year, he said during his Budget 2025 speech.
The package aims to "recognise the contributions of all Singaporeans, and to share the benefits of our nation's progress", said Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister.
The SG60 vouchers alone are expected to cost the government S$2.02 billion in this financial year.
Each Singaporean adult will get S$600, while seniors aged 60 and above will receive an additional S$200.
The vouchers will be disbursed in July and expire on Dec 31, 2026. They will benefit about 3 million citizens.
"Seniors will claim first, and the rest later," said Mr Wong.
Similar to the Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, they can be claimed digitally and used at participating supermarkets and heartland merchants and hawkers.
The SG60 package also includes a personal income tax rebate of 60 per cent, capped at S$200, so that it mostly benefits middle-income workers, said Mr Wong.
And Singaporean babies born this year will receive an SG60 Baby Gift - an initiative first announced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah in November last year.
Separately but also as part of Singapore's 60th birthday celebrations, stalls in hawker centres and markets managed by the government and government-appointed operators will get one-time rental support of S$600 this year.
"Our hawker centres and markets are an integral part of our way of life," said Mr Wong. "This year marks over half a century since we built our first hawker centres and markets, and the fifth anniversary of the inscription of our Hawker Culture onto the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity."
People buy food for lunch at a hawker centre in Singapore on Jan 7, 2025. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
Up to S$1 billion will also be spent over the next 20 to 30 years to upgrade ageing hawker centres and build new ones, to meet the changing needs of stallholders and patrons.
Mr Wong also announced S$100 in SG60 ActiveSG credits, for all ActiveSG members to enjoy sports together with family and friends.
Another S$100 will be given out via a new SG Culture Pass to encourage Singaporeans to attend arts and heritage activities.
From September this year, Singaporeans aged 18 and above will receive these credits, which can be used for cultural performances, museum exhibitions and more. The credits are valid until the end of 2028.
The Singapore government and the Tote Board will also set aside over S$600 million in matching funds, as part of increased support for the fund-raising efforts of charities and social causes.
A Cultural Matching Fund will get a S$100 million top-up and be extended for five years until the end of financial year 2029.
Additionally, an Enhanced Fund-Raising Programme will get a S$270 million top-up and be extended for three years until the end of the 2027 financial year, said Mr Wong.
A S$250 million SG Gives matching grant will also be introduced, to match dollar-for-dollar donations made through the Community Chest, the Collective for a Stronger Society and the President's Challenge – platforms which let donors contribute to a range of programmes.
"To encourage sustained giving amongst larger donors, we will provide a higher S$1.50 in matching for donations with a minimum three-year commitment of at least S$250,000 per year," said Mr Wong.
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As part of an SG60 package, there will also be a personal income tax rebate of 60 per cent for the 2025 year of assessment, along with a baby gift for newborns this year, he said during his Budget 2025 speech.
The package aims to "recognise the contributions of all Singaporeans, and to share the benefits of our nation's progress", said Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister.
The SG60 vouchers alone are expected to cost the government S$2.02 billion in this financial year.
Each Singaporean adult will get S$600, while seniors aged 60 and above will receive an additional S$200.
The vouchers will be disbursed in July and expire on Dec 31, 2026. They will benefit about 3 million citizens.
"Seniors will claim first, and the rest later," said Mr Wong.
Similar to the Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, they can be claimed digitally and used at participating supermarkets and heartland merchants and hawkers.
The SG60 package also includes a personal income tax rebate of 60 per cent, capped at S$200, so that it mostly benefits middle-income workers, said Mr Wong.
And Singaporean babies born this year will receive an SG60 Baby Gift - an initiative first announced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah in November last year.
BOOSTING CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
Separately but also as part of Singapore's 60th birthday celebrations, stalls in hawker centres and markets managed by the government and government-appointed operators will get one-time rental support of S$600 this year.
"Our hawker centres and markets are an integral part of our way of life," said Mr Wong. "This year marks over half a century since we built our first hawker centres and markets, and the fifth anniversary of the inscription of our Hawker Culture onto the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity."
People buy food for lunch at a hawker centre in Singapore on Jan 7, 2025. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
Up to S$1 billion will also be spent over the next 20 to 30 years to upgrade ageing hawker centres and build new ones, to meet the changing needs of stallholders and patrons.
Mr Wong also announced S$100 in SG60 ActiveSG credits, for all ActiveSG members to enjoy sports together with family and friends.
Another S$100 will be given out via a new SG Culture Pass to encourage Singaporeans to attend arts and heritage activities.
From September this year, Singaporeans aged 18 and above will receive these credits, which can be used for cultural performances, museum exhibitions and more. The credits are valid until the end of 2028.
ENCOURAGING GIVING
The Singapore government and the Tote Board will also set aside over S$600 million in matching funds, as part of increased support for the fund-raising efforts of charities and social causes.
A Cultural Matching Fund will get a S$100 million top-up and be extended for five years until the end of financial year 2029.
Additionally, an Enhanced Fund-Raising Programme will get a S$270 million top-up and be extended for three years until the end of the 2027 financial year, said Mr Wong.
A S$250 million SG Gives matching grant will also be introduced, to match dollar-for-dollar donations made through the Community Chest, the Collective for a Stronger Society and the President's Challenge – platforms which let donors contribute to a range of programmes.
"To encourage sustained giving amongst larger donors, we will provide a higher S$1.50 in matching for donations with a minimum three-year commitment of at least S$250,000 per year," said Mr Wong.
Continue reading...