ComCare sets aside $1m to help the needy cope with inflation
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SINGAPORE: At least S$1 million will be set aside from the ComCare Fund to help the needy cope with inflation, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon said on Sunday.
The ComCare Fund is also working with NTUC FairPrice to come up with schemes to help the lower-income group.
"As (the) chairman of ComCare, I have enough budget and am ready to supplement the effort... As long as (the) ComCare Endowment Fund is concerned, any scheme that comes out from NTUC, we are prepared to support," said Mrs Yu-Foo.
"The help is there, the resources (are) there, the thing now is... how to effectively reach out," she added.
ComCare has worked with FairPrice to give out food vouchers to the needy in the past, and Mrs Yu-Foo said needy Singaporeans can tap on the S$63.7 million ComCare Fund budgeted for this year.
Those who need help can call the ComCare helpline (1800-COMCARE) launched last year.
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) received about 8,600 calls over the last three months, and there has not been an increase in the number of calls asking for help due to higher food prices.
Mrs Yu-Foo said most calls received have been about unemployment and coping with family finances.
Food vouchers for staples such as rice will come in handy with the recent hike in the price of rice.
However, the frenzied buying seemed to have stabilised.
Some shoppers at a FairPrice outlet in Toa Payoh said they do not stock up on rice as they are confident that there is enough supply.
But some are still buying slightly more than usual.
"If they have enough stock, why (do) they increase the price of rice?" said a shopper.
FairPrice said although prices are up, with discounts given for its house brand, the overall increase is still less than 10 per cent, which is lower than the average 30-per-cent increase elsewhere. - CNA/ac -
Originally posted by kramnave:
"If they have enough stock, why (do) they increase the price of rice?" said a shopper.
FairPrice said although prices are up, with discounts given for its house brand, the overall increase is still less than 10 per cent, which is lower than the average 30-per-cent increase elsewhere. - CNA/actmd, gong lj wei...
people asking why increase, they compare the increase with others for what.
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... lets wait to see the harvest of fruits, for all the seeds of care they said sowed...
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$1 million divided by how many people ar?
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Originally posted by dukedracula:
$1 million divided by how many people ar?
... to them, 1 million dollars is VERY BIG...... in fact, they think it is TOO MUCH already...
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"the overall increase is still less than 10 per cent, which is lower than the average 30-per-cent increase elsewhere"
anyone care to do some investigative reporting and take a look at Carrefour's prices?
$1 million divided by 10,000 people is $100. First time I heard of this ComCare Fund, where the website? Does the ComCare Fund building have gold taps as well? (Couldn't resist)
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Originally posted by Uncle Ver SG:
"the overall increase is still less than 10 per cent, which is lower than the average 30-per-cent increase elsewhere"
anyone care to do some investigative reporting and take a look at Carrefour's prices?
$1 million divided by 10,000 people is $100. First time I heard of this ComCare Fund, where the website? Does the ComCare Fund building have gold taps as well? (Couldn't resist)
Comcare has been around for quite a long while already and they don't have a building. Go to your MP if you got no money to buy rice. The uninformed poor like you should go and perhaps stop shopping at Carrefour and stop wasting money on internet, since you have not much use for it.
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"The uninformed poor like you should go and perhaps stop shopping at Carrefour "
LOL. I agree leh gimme the money from Comcare. I want payout from government to surf internet and post PAP propoganda too. Where to sign up? Rebate from Singnet is good enough for me.
"and stop wasting money on internet, since you have not much use for it."
Why dont you propose to build a Great Firewall of Singapore? Bar people from visiting Sgforums etc. Surely it is cheaper and more efficient in the long run. But then again some people will be out of a job unless they are ALSO IT technicians...
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Originally posted by dukedracula:
$1 million divided by how many people ar?
Well, if there were 100,000 people, each will get $10.
$10 can buy one packet of rice.
I think.
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Originally posted by kramnave:
SINGAPORE: At least S$1 million will be set aside from the ComCare Fund to help the needy cope with inflation, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon said on Sunday.
The ComCare Fund is also working with NTUC FairPrice to come up with schemes to help the lower-income group.
"As (the) chairman of ComCare, I have enough budget and am ready to supplement the effort... As long as (the) ComCare Endowment Fund is concerned, any scheme that comes out from NTUC, we are prepared to support," said Mrs Yu-Foo.
"The help is there, the resources (are) there, the thing now is... how to effectively reach out," she added.
ComCare has worked with FairPrice to give out food vouchers to the needy in the past, and Mrs Yu-Foo said needy Singaporeans can tap on the S$63.7 million ComCare Fund budgeted for this year.
Those who need help can call the ComCare helpline (1800-COMCARE) launched last year.
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) received about 8,600 calls over the last three months, and there has not been an increase in the number of calls asking for help due to higher food prices.
Mrs Yu-Foo said most calls received have been about unemployment and coping with family finances.
Food vouchers for staples such as rice will come in handy with the recent hike in the price of rice.
However, the frenzied buying seemed to have stabilised.
Some shoppers at a FairPrice outlet in Toa Payoh said they do not stock up on rice as they are confident that there is enough supply.
But some are still buying slightly more than usual.
"If they have enough stock, why (do) they increase the price of rice?" said a shopper.
FairPrice said although prices are up, with discounts given for its house brand, the overall increase is still less than 10 per cent, which is lower than the average 30-per-cent increase elsewhere. - CNA/ac
i hope they don't ask so many questions that people are put off in seeking their help. -
Originally posted by pearlie27:
i hope they don't ask so many questions that people are put off in seeking their help.i think you will be disappointed. girlie-name minister vivian wanted very close scrutiny lest people abuse it. him think poor people got no pride and out to grab a free lunch off the government.
separately, those who are disappointed that there is no woman minister in the singapore cabinet should take heart that at least there is a vivian in the house. (i know scant consolation but better than nothing)
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If Miss Vivian becomes PM, I will seriously consider staging a revolutionary coup....
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Here's the true color of this initiative...
NTUC’s “gift” - helping the poor or blatant exploitation?
Posted by theonlinecitizen on April 11, 2008
Leong Sze Hian and Andrew Loh
The National Trades Union Congress just announced a $4 million worth of assistance for 80,000 low-wage workers under the new discount vouchers scheme.
According to the Straits Times report, “NTUC’s $4m gift to less well-off workers”, the ST says:“In all, about 80,000 lower-income union members can apply for these vouchers from NTUC.”
It goes on:
“Each voucher gets them a 5 per cent discount for every $10 spent at six NTUC cooperatives, including its childcare centres and pharmacies.”
Now, before we all start cheering the ostentatious generosity of the NTUC, read the report closely. You will notice that :
One, the report couched it as a “gift”. Is it really so, or is it a blatant attempt by the NTUC at self-promotion – and to generate even more revenue for itself? (Read on and judge for yourself.)
Two, the headline says “less well-off workers” without mentioning that it is unionized members only who qualify for the vouchers. (Read on to discover how much one has to pay NTUC to be a member before enjoying the “5 per cent discount”.)
Three, “each voucher gets them a 5 percent discount for every $10 spent”. In other words, for every $10 you spend at NTUC cooperatives, you get 50 cents discount.
Why give discount instead of cash?
A 5 per cent discount voucher may not help the needy as much as giving the equivalent amount to them in cash. What the needy needs most now may be to mitigate the rising cost of basic food items.
For example, Fairprice raised the price of one of it house brand rice (5 kg bag) by 13 per cent, from $4.70 to $5.30 in March. Cooking oil and dairy products have also clocked double-digit gains.
Thus, giving them say $5 cash may be better as they can use it all to buy rice or milk powder, instead of just getting a 5 per cent discount when the price has already risen by double-digits. If prices continue to rise, discount vouchers also become lesser in actual value.
As each voucher gets them a 5 per cent discount for every $10 spent, if the purchase is say $11 or $12, the effective discount would only be 4.5 or 4.2 per cent respectively.
Giving discount vouchers may also be setting an undesirable precedent, as assistance to the needy has always been in cash or cash-equivalent vouchers, instead of a discount.
ComCare Funds should not be used to benefit NTUC
The ST article also reported NTUC Chief Lim Swee Say as saying that “grassroots leaders can use the money from the million dollar fund to buy the vouchers for their needy residents”. Mr Lim was referring to the ComCare Fund. This may not be a good suggestion, as grassroots organisations should give cash to the needy, instead of purchasing the discount vouchers.
The ComCare Fund budgeted amount is for direct assistance to the needy that they are already entitled to, and therefore should not be used to purchase discount vouchers.
Thus, using ComCare Fund to buy the vouchers is not a good way to implement the decision to set aside at least $1 million from the fund to help needy families cope with rising food prices.
Increased profits for NTUC
NTUC Fairprice Group’s after-tax profits increased by about 90 per cent from $52.7 million in 2006 to $100.1 million in 2007, against an increase in revenue of only about 12 per cent, from $1.4 billion to $1.6 billion, for the same period.
This begs the question: Why, despite absorbing the GST increase on hundreds of essential items for the latter half of last year, NTUC Fairprice Group’s profits increased so much?
So, instead of just giving $4 million of discount vouchers, why not give cash vouchers which would only reduce its profit increase last year from 90 to 82 per cent?
What’s the point of increasing the price of rice by 13 per cent or milk by 20 per cent, and then giving a 5 per cent discount?
Mr Lim was also quoted as saying in another ST report titled, “Rice a small part of bills at Fairprice: Swee Say”:
“Yes, the cost of living has gone up, but it does not mean your $10 has become $5 because you did not spend all your $10 to buy rice.
“You spent only 22 cents to buy rice.”
To infer that only 22 cents out of every $10 is spent on rice, derived from the $1.6 billion spent at Fairprice, of which $36 million was on rice, may not be entirely accurate and indeed seems simplistic. Generally, the lower-income may be spending more on rice relative to their total expenditure, relative to what the general population spend on all items at supermarkets.
Helping the poor or blatant attempt at self-promotion?
Companies give discount vouchers all the time, as a means of promoting more sales and advertising. Will the call to buy house brands, and now the giving of discount vouchers, lead to higher sales volumes, which may result in even higher profits at the end of the day?
In this NTUC vouchers case, a low-income or poor Singaporean would have to spend money being a member of NTUC and pay its monthly membership fee (which we understand is about $9 or thereabouts per month), before he is entitled to a 50 cents discount every time he spends $10 at NTUC Co-ops.
Do only union members shop at NTUC?
This “gift” of a 5 per cent discount sounds rather like blatant self-promotion and exploitation of the plight of the poor by the NTUC rather than any sincerity in helping them.
Finally, isn’t this in a sense, akin to unfair competition against other supermarkets, retailers, childcare centres and pharmacies ?
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To the persistently in place Govt. of Singapore;
Please stop all your antics on so called 'Helping the Poor' - let the people and the poor, have their money to really help themselves since you, as a government, are not sincerely helping out.
In fact, please step down and let people live a more decent life.
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Non-members are left out to rot. Only members are eligible to the vouchers. The discount of 50 cents is mainly use to pay the member fees. Just like if you don't pay the member fee, you are on your own.
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You don't get upgrading in your estates if you didn't vote for them.
And yes, you have to pay part of the cost for that extra lift.
Some people might think I am going off topic.
Well, maybe I am.
Maybe.
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I think PAP should be out of power for a few years.
This will make the PAP wake up their fucking idea and motivate them to serve the people.
I see KMT out of power for 8 eights and now they are very motivated to serve the people.
I hope PAP can fuck off for a few years and let the people take a breather.
Hopes this happens in 2011 GE.
Finally can be rid of PAP.
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Originally posted by HyperFocal:
To the persistently in place Govt. of Singapore;
Please stop all your antics on so called 'Helping the Poor' - let the people and the poor, have their money to really help themselves since you, as a government, are not sincerely helping out.
In fact, please step down and let people live a more decent life.
Agree. Most govt-related help for the needy would turn cannibalistic at later stage. Examples: 1)NTUC - started as cooperative to help members get cheap grocery but in the end the prices of the grocery become more expensive than those sold in other supermarkets. 2) Comfort - original objective was to help cabbies buy their own cabs but subsequently abandoned that objective and has been making profits out of cabbies by renting them the cabs. -
Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:
I think PAP should be out of power for a few years.
This will make the PAP wake up their fucking idea and motivate them to serve the people.
I see KMT out of power for 8 eights and now they are very motivated to serve the people.
I hope PAP can fuck off for a few years and let the people take a breather.
Hopes this happens in 2011 GE.
Finally can be rid of PAP.
wahahaha. very powerful phase - wake up their fucking idea. NS has taught well. think we'll only hear it in sg. haha
haha. no surprise to me that this is another gimmick. at first i thought wah, so good give 4 million worth of vouchers.
as they say, always read the fine prints on vouchers.
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Originally posted by alwaysdisturbed:
wahahaha. very powerful phase - wake up their fucking idea. NS has taught well. think we'll only hear it in sg. haha
haha. no surprise to me that this is another gimmick. at first i thought wah, so good give 4 million worth of vouchers.
as they say, always read the fine prints on vouchers.
What does the fine print on the vouchers say?
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only 1 mil and they go hu-ha about it... xD .. farking jokers...
buy to get 'discounted relief' .. "dun buy no relief" ...
they must be trying to clear some old stocks in NTUC....if they were really sincere, NTUC would set aside more discounted prices
on the products so that whoever has this vouchers would be entitled to further more relief when purchasing them...wtf u give vouchers for, if this family cannot even afford to buy them in order to utilise them??
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... just look at their WIS as another example...
... I know a 61 year old lady who works as a cook in a church kindergarten, she cooks for the teachers, gets paid only $300 a month.... with it, she has monthly diabetic medications, and household groceries...
... her so called WIS came and out of about $500+, she was only allowed $170 while the balance gets creditted into her Medisave...
Who do you think WIS is supplementing? And how far can $170 go?
Which why I say; if Govt. not wholehearted about CARING for the people, the needy, and the poor, stop the wayang and give people back their money so they can help themslves!
Better still - FARKING STEP DOWN AS GOVT!!!!