Seniors can claim S$800 SG60 vouchers from July 1; adults to get S$600 in vouchers from July 22
Unlike CDC vouchers, which are issued to households, these one-off vouchers to celebrate Singapore's 60th year of independence are for individual Singaporeans. They are part of a broader SG60 Package announced at Budget 2025 by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Seniors can claim their vouchers at go.gov.sg/sg60v from 10 am on Jul 1, while other adults can do so from 10 am on Jul 22.
In total, some three million adults will get the vouchers, which are estimated to cost the government a total of S$2.02 billion.
'The SG60 vouchers are our way of recognising the contributions of all Singaporeans in our nation building journey,' said PM Wong in a social media post on Jul 1.
Each person will also get an SG60 postcard – designed by differently-abled artists – in the mail. The postcard contains a message from PM Wong and a QR code that can be scanned to claim the vouchers.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business
Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies.
Sign Up
Sign Up
Seniors will get to claim their vouchers first 'in appreciation of their long-standing contributions to Singapore's growth and success', said the Community Development Council in a statement on Jul 1.
This earlier rollout will also ensure that seniors can get dedicated help to claim their vouchers.
The vouchers can be used at all businesses that accept CDC vouchers and are valid till Dec 31, 2026.
Half the vouchers – that is, S$400 for seniors; and S$300 for adults – can be used at participating supermarkets, and the other half at participating hawker stalls and heartland merchants.
This covers some 23,000 heartland shops and hawkers, and eight supermarket chains that have over 400 outlets all over Singapore. They are Ang Mo Supermarket, Cold Storage, Giant Singapore, Hao Mart, FairPrice, Prime Supermarket, Sheng Siong and U Stars Supermarket.
The claim and spend process for SG60 Vouchers is the same as that of CDC vouchers, where upon claiming the vouchers, the individual will receive an SMS link from 'gov.sg'.
Those who need help to claim their vouchers can get assistance at community centres and clubs, and at SG Digital Community Hubs.
In the first two weeks of the launch until July 11, about 200 volunteers from public agencies and schools such as ITE College West, Nanyang Polytechnic, and Tampines Meridian JC will be stationed at selected CCs alongside CDC ambassadors to assist residents.
The SG60 vouchers will support Singaporeans in defraying the cost of living pressures, said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Culture, Community and Youth, Low Yen Ling told reporters on June 25, at a briefing on the voucher scheme.
Around S$1 billion worth of SG60 vouchers will also 'go some way to supporting our heartland shops and hawkers in increasing footfall and also sales', she noted. People can find participating merchants at go.gov.sg/sg60voucher.
Low, who is also the Chairman of the Mayors' Committee, said:'The one and a half years of validity period (of the vouchers) will give all Singaporeans greater flexibility to pace, use and spend their SG60 vouchers gradually.'
The SG60 vouchers are part of a slew of SG60 goodies announced by PM Wong at Budget 2025. Other initiatives include a personal income tax rebate, a gift for babies born this year, and S$100 in SG Culture Pass credits for every Singaporean aged 18 and above in 2025.
In 2025, Singaporean households also received S$300 worth of CDC vouchers in January, and S$500 worth of CDC vouchers in May. These are valid till Dec 31, 2025. THE STRAITS TIMES
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
35 minutes ago
- Business Times
World Bank sees more monetary easing in Thailand as risks mount
[BANGKOK] The World Bank expects Thailand's monetary stance to become 'more accommodative' this year amid mounting external and domestic uncertainty, including a political crisis that's seen the temporary suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Falling inflationary pressures may also open up room for further easing, although it underscores persistent demand-side weaknesses and the need for structural reforms to raise productivity and investment, the Washington-based lender said in a report on Thursday (Jul 3). The Bank of Thailand has slashed its key interest rate by a cumulative 75 basis points since October to 1.75 per cent to cushion the blow to the economy from the fallout of global trade tensions and an uncertain growth outlook. It has also left the door open for further easing. 'With rising domestic and external uncertainty, as well as falling inflationary pressure, the monetary stance is projected to become more accommodative in 2025,' the World Bank said. 'However, a faster than-expected monetary easing to counter external headwinds could delay household debt reduction and pose risks to financial stability.' Thailand was plunged into a political crisis this week with a court suspending Paetongtarn until it ruled on allegations of ethical misconduct against her. The political turmoil has sparked fears of a government collapse, a budget delay and the government's ability to negotiate down the threat of a 36 per cent US tariff on exports, which could jeopardise the country's already fragile economic situation. The World Bank has slashed Thailand's growth estimates to 1.8 per cent in 2025 and 1.7 per cent in 2026 from 2.5 per cent in 2024. The downgrades reflect recent global trade policy shifts, weakening exports, slowing consumption and moderating tourism recovery, it said. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up The escalation of trade tensions and slower-than-expected recovery in tourism can dampen exports and services growth, the bank said. The political uncertainty could result in delays of next year's fiscal budget and public infrastructure investments implementation with spillovers into private investment and overall growth, it said. Still, growth can hit 2.2 per cent this year if trade tensions cool and private investment grows moderately. Domestically, effective implementation of fiscal stimulus and high-quality infrastructure investment could support growth, according to the report. The World Bank said digital technology can be a catalyst for Thailand's growth and create more jobs, deliver better services and boost productivity in the face of uncertainty. The nation's digital economy is estimated to contribute around 6 per cent of gross domestic product and is the second-largest in South-east Asia. Financial services, digital payments, fintech, and software and engineering industries, have seen some of the fastest rates of job creation over the past decade, according to the World Bank. 'By leveraging digital technologies and fostering an environment conducive to innovation and growth, Thailand can raise its growth trajectory and accelerate towards high-income status, ensuring higher value-added jobs and social equity for its citizens,' the bank said. BLOOMBERG
Business Times
35 minutes ago
- Business Times
Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone could get power-up with Indonesia's Bintan, Batam, Karimun
[SINGAPORE] The age-old vision of the Sijori growth triangle comprising Singapore, Johor, and the Riau Islands of Indonesia that was first proposed some three decades ago may be getting a jumpstart. The three South-east Asian neighbours held discussions to advance trilateral cooperation and floated plans to expand the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) to include the Riau Islands, revealed Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Thursday (Jul 3). DPM Gan, who is also minister for trade and industry, met Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Malaysia's Minister of Trade, Investment and Industry Tengku Zafrul Aziz last week. 'We discussed how we can strengthen Johor-Singapore and Singapore-BBK (Batam-Bintan-Karimun),' said DPM Gan. 'The idea is that three will be even stronger than two.' He added: 'We will continue to work with Johor on the JS-SEZ; we will work with BBK; and at the same time, explore how all three can work together as a grouping.' DPM Gan, who was speaking at a dialogue during the Asean Conference, said that this will enhance the region's attractiveness to businesses looking to invest. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Titled 'Asean integration in the multipolar world', the panel featured Liew Chin Tong, Malaysia's deputy minister of investment, trade and industry; and Tirta Nugraha Mursitama, Indonesia's deputy minister for investment cooperation at the Ministry of Investment and Downstream Industry. The hour-long session was moderated by Singapore Business Federation chief executive officer Kok Ping Soon. '(Businesses will) look at not just Singapore, not just Johor, not just Indonesia, but all three regions together,' noted DPM Gan. 'This will offer them a lot more options, a lot more choices and, at the same time, more advantage to operate in this region.' The landmark JS-SEZ pact was inked in January, with the zone covering an area of more than 3,500 square kilometres, roughly four times the size of Singapore. Some four-fifths of the over 700 projects approved by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority in Johor last year were located in the zone, underscoring its attractiveness, the agency's chief executive told The Business Times in April this year. Read more stories on the Johor-Singapore SEZ
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4, Singapore News
SINGAPORE — Sellers of private homes will have to pay higher seller's stamp duty (SSD) rates of between four per cent and 16 per cent if they sell a residential property less than four years after the date of purchase. The SSD is currently payable by those who sell a residential property within three years of purchase, at rates of between four per cent and 12 per cent. The Ministry of National Development, Ministry of Finance and Monetary Authority of Singapore announced the longer holding period and higher rates, which will kick in on July 4, in a statement late at night on July 3. The authorities said that in recent years, the number of private residential property transactions with short holding periods has increased sharply. "In particular, there has been a significant increase in the sub-sale of units that have not been completed," they said. A sub-sale refers to the sale of a unit to another buyer before the unit is completed. "Therefore, the Government will revert to the pre-2017 SSD holding period of four years and raise the SSD rates by four percentage points for each tier of the holding period." The SSD was introduced in 2010 as a deterrent against flipping property for profit. It was relaxed in 2017, when sellers no longer had to pay SSD if they sell a residential property after a holding period of three years. Before that, SSD was payable if they sold a property after owning it for less than four years. The latest changes will apply to all residential property bought from midnight on July 4. They do not affect Housing Board flat owners, owing to the minimum occupation period of at least five years for such flats. A report by property firm OrangeTee Group in April showed that sub-sales gained traction in 2024, jumping to 1,306 transactions, up from 178 in 2020. Sub-sales accounted for 6.6 per cent of overall non-landed home sales in 2024. This is the latest measure targeting the private property market. In April 2023, additional buyer's stamp duty (ABSD) rates were raised for Singaporeans and permanent residents buying their second and subsequent properties. The rate for foreigners buying any residential property was also doubled from 30 per cent to 60 per cent. The hikes were aimed at preventing property prices from being pushed up by investors, and prioritising Singaporeans buying homes for owner-occupation. ABSD rates for home buyers and developers were earlier raised in December 2021. [[nid:719344]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
