Budget 2025: Eligible Singaporeans to receive up to $800 in vouchers for SG60

Singaporeans can look forward to up to $800 in vouchers in celebration of the nation's 60th birthday.

During his Budget 2025 speech on Tuesday (Feb 18), Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong announced the SG60 package which aims to "recognise the contributions of all Singaporeans" and share the benefits of the nation's progress.

All Singaporeans aged 21 and above in 2025 will receive SG60 vouchers across the month of July as part of the package. Those aged 21 to 59 will receive $600 in vouchers while those 60 and older will get $800.

Similar to the CDC vouchers, half of these SG60 vouchers will be set aside for use at participating supermarkets and the other half for participating heartland merchants and hawkers.

These vouchers will be valid for use at all businesses that accept CDC vouchers and will be valid until December 2026.

Singaporeans will also be entitled to a personal income tax rebate of 60 per cent for the year of assessment 2025, said PM Wong.

The rebate will be capped at $200 to mostly benefit the middle-income workers, he added.

Moreover, the government will introduce the SG Culture Pass, an initiative to encourage attendance for local arts and heritage activities.

Singaporeans aged 18 and above in 2025 will receive $100 worth of culture credits starting September 2025. They will remain valid until the end of 2028.

More details on how to claim these credits will be provided by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth at a later date.

To encourage sports-based participation amongst Singaporeans, on the other hand, all existing ActiveSG members will receive an additional $100 worth of credits in June 2025. New joiners will get a total of $200 in credits.

Moreover, all Singapore Citizen babies born in the year 2025 will be eligible for the SG60 Baby Gift, said PM Wong. More details about the gift will be shared by early-March.

Funds to support hawkers and the less fortunate

PM Wong also announced during the Budget speech that each hawker stall managed by government and government-appointed operators will receive a one-time rental support of $600 this year.

This is to appreciate hawkers, which are an "integral part of our way of life", he said.

PM Wong also stressed the importance of helping fellow citizens and maintaining a spirit of giving.

To encourage this spirit, the government will increase its fund-matching efforts for charities and social causes, he said.

A $100 million top-up will be provided to the Cultural Matching Fund, which will also be extended to the end of the Financial Year 2029.

Another $270 million will be set aside for the Enhanced Fund-Raising Programme, which matches donations to Singapore-registered charities to the dollar, and it will be extended until the end of the financial years 2027.

Additionally, the government will introduce the $250 million SG Gives dollar-for-dollar matching grant for all donations, and will donate $1.50 per dollar for large and sustained donations.

It will also set aside another $60 million for self-help groups.

[[nid:713169]]

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com