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SINGAPORE: Less than 0.2 percent, or 229 sets, of the 2020 Budget grocery vouchers that were mailed to 150,000 Singaporeans last month were stolen on October 28, the Second said on Monday (November 2). Finance Minister Indranee Rajah.
Investigations into these reported cases of theft are ongoing, and police have made 55 arrests so far, he told parliament.
These grocery vouchers, part of the Government Care and Support Package first announced in February, are intended to help low-income people with household expenses during the COVID-19 recession.
Only those 21 and older this year, living in HDB 1 and 2 bedroom apartments and owning no more than one property, will receive coupons. Most are 55 or older, Ms. Indranee said.
The first batch of coupons, each worth 150 Singapore dollars, were sent to 150,000 Singaporeans early last month via registered registered mail. But there have been a recent series of thefts and subsequent arrests for the theft of these coupons from HDB’s block mailboxes in Singapore.
READ: Man Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Budget 2020 Grocery Coupons From Mailboxes On Marine Terrace
READ: Woman Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Grocery Coupons from Mailboxes
In response to questions from Members of Parliament, Ms Indranee said that a “vast majority” of grocery vouchers reached their recipients “without problems”.
Only 229 games, or less than 0.2 percent, of the vouchers were reported stolen as of October 28.
According to investigations by the Singapore Police, the thefts “appear to be opportunistic and the cases are not linked,” he added, noting that mailboxes were left unlocked in some cases.
“A small number of coupons reported as stolen have been voided and replacement coupons are being issued to eligible recipients,” Ms. Indranee told the House.
“We encourage everyone to keep mailboxes locked and repair damaged mailboxes to avoid this.”
WHY VOUCHERS ARE SENT
Public health limitations amid the pandemic, convenience, and safety were some of the factors that had to be considered in the delivery of these grocery vouchers. Digital coupons, for example, were discarded because some of the recipients may not have a smartphone or a mobile data plan, Ms Indranee said.
“If digital vouchers were used, it would have taken more time and effort to first provide the appropriate digital interfaces before recipients can receive the anticipated support with household expenses,” he explained.
“That being said, as digital literacy improves among older Singaporeans, we may be able to consider digital coupons for this group in the future.”
Self-collection in the nearest community centers was also considered, but this would create additional inconvenience for older people, especially those with mobility problems. Overcrowding can also occur at collection points, Ms Indranee said.
“So generally we ship grocery vouchers by certified mail for optimal convenience to the intended recipients,” he added.
Singapore Post adopted contactless delivery measures earlier this year, including redirecting registered emails to mailboxes, due to current COVID-19 security requirements.
“It will monitor and verify successful deliveries to recipients’ mailboxes with a photo taken by the postman as proof of delivery,” said Ms Indranee.
To mitigate theft and fraud, each coupon has unique characteristics that allow authorities to identify the intended recipients and trace any coupon to specific locations and time of transaction.
“With that said, we will continue to review ongoing disbursements to balance security and convenience for recipients,” he said.
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