Questions for PAP Skorlars: Why CDC Vouchers Need Two Categories?

[Geminiboy]

Yes, the initial CDC vouchers issued in 2021 cannot be spent on Supermarkets. Nor was there a separate set of vouchers for supermarkets then.

Idea was to help hawkers and small shops tide over the impact of Covid.

I remember having a hard time finishing the vouchers because due to Covid, I ate out a lot less and most of my normal stalls did not participate in this CDC program. Had to go to the CDC website to see which shops around my area I can spend the vouchers at.



The new category for supermarket was only introduced later, I think only last year.



If the vouchers were combined, I dare say in general, the supermarkets will get most of it. Hurting the hawkers and small merchants.

It's a lot easier to spend more at supermarts because they have so many different products at any 1 outlet. Mostly consumables that people will have to buy again after a week. Things like tidbits, soft drinks, rice, cooking ingredients, veggie, meat, toilet paper!, electronics. Shop 1 time, easily $20 for a lot of people.

For hawker centers, eat one meal average $5. Have to eat 4 times to spend $20.

Yes, someone is going to mention got people buying things like iphone from heartland shops, can one shot finish. However, some supermarts also sell TVs and fridges etc. Also can 1 shot finish.

As I said, supermarkets easier to spend only if you cook. There are a lot of working people who don’t. Those working long hours or late shifts etc. Even office working couples settle their meals outside if no maids or parents at home to cook.

If you go out to hawker centres often, you will see how many people are eating out even at late hours. The number of people who don’t go hawker centres will be balanced out by the number of people who do and hardly need buy groceries.

No need to enforce that half of CDC vouchers must be for each category. That’s too arbitrary for a significant portion of people who primarily eat out or cook at home.

 

[Orphan]

As I said, supermarkets easier to spend only if you cook. There are a lot of working people who don’t. Those working long hours or late shifts etc. Even office working couples settle their meals outside if no maids or parents at home to cook.

If you go out to hawker centres often, you will see how many people are eating out even at late hours. The number of people who don’t go hawker centres will be balanced out by the number of people who do and hardly need buy groceries.

No need to enforce that half of CDC vouchers must be for each category. That’s too arbitrary for a significant portion of people who primarily eat out or cook at home.

The thing is, it won't balance out. You are mainly considering 1 part - eating out (hawker centers) vs cooking (buying groceries in supermarts).

Supermarts offer a much larger range of products at 1 single stop compared to hawker centers. Even excluding tidbits and canned drinks, there's toilet paper, tissue, shavers, razors, tooth paste, batteries, shampoo, soap.

What 1 person can spend at a hawker center on any single visit, is limited to 1 meal, say $5 on average, because he/she simply cannot eat 30 days' of meals at 1 sitting and digest over 30 days.

That same person has no such limit on how much he/she can spend in a supermart in any single visit. He/she can buy 30 days' worth of toiletries in one visit, and slowly use them over the 30 days.

Even with the current state where the vouchers are split into 2 categories, the one for Supermarts has seen a greater portion of utilization. It's simple much easier to spend larger amounts at supermarts.



Quote:
about $166 million, or 51.9 per cent of the claimed vouchers, was spent at supermarkets. The remaining sum of about $154 million, or 48.1 per cent, was spent at heartland shops and hawker stalls.

Of the amount spent in heartland shops and hawker stalls, more than $108 million – or 70 per cent – was spent at food and beverage outlets and hawker stalls...



Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...sehold-can-claim-500-cdc-vouchers-from-may-13



Without reserving a portion for the hawker centers and small heartland shops, the small players will have to fight with the large supermarts. Since this will be an unfair fight, eventually, more will be spent at supermarts. If people spends less at hawker centers and heartland shops, it defeats the original purpose to help the small players.



I actually wish they would do the same for CoE. Carve out a portion for the PHV companies so that folks who need a car do not have to fight with the large PHV companies.