Food vouchers traded at a discount

[Jman888]

Food vouchers traded at a discount

07/04/2014on mypaperby GOH WEI HAO

NEEDY, BUT... Mr Tan, an MP for Marine Parade GRC, raised the issue of residents trading their food rations recently. (PHOTO: INTERNET)

THIS must be the saddest trade in Singapore.

Needy residents, who are given vouchers to put food on the table, have been trading them at a discount for extra money in the pocket.

Some do it to clear debt, others to buy cigarettes and alcohol, and many are just desperate for cash.

Members of Parliament give out FairPrice vouchers during Meet-the-People sessions to enable needy residents to buy rice and noodles. Almost every MP that My Paper spoke to had heard of some form of abuse of this well-intentioned scheme.

"Residents sell $100 vouchers for $90," said Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan.

"Some of these residents will then spend on things like cigarettes, which are detrimental to their health," he added.

MP Lee Bee Wah of Nee Soon GRC came across one of her residents selling his rice rations for cash. She warned him that the rations would be stopped if he continued doing this. "I still see him collecting his rice today," she said with a smile.

Acting Manpower Minister and Marine Parade GRC MP Tan Chuan-Jin highlighted the issue recently when he posted a picture of food rations on his Facebook page. He said he had given the items to a needy resident, who passed them on to someone else to pay off his debts.

Another resident, who regularly receives help from public assistance schemes, was given cash by a good Samaritan. The resident used the money to buy a gold bangle, said Mr Tan.

"If there are any abuses, and I come to know about them, I will want to find out exactly what the problem is," he told My Paper.

The assistance might stop if a resident is clearly not in need. "But things aren't always so straightforward," said Mr Tan.

Some residents could have traded their vouchers because of legitimate needs or emergencies, the MPs said. And since these "traders" are in a minority, the MPs have found ways to work around the tricky issue.

Community vouchers - introduced in some wards - allow residents to spend at neighbourhood provision shops, barbers and hawker stalls. They also reduce the need for residents to sell their supermarket vouchers at a discount - a move that would whittle down the aid given to them.

MPs have also put in place processes to reduce the need to give residents cash. They write cheques directly to the Housing Board to pay rent, and send volunteers to pay residents' medical bills at clinics.

Dr Chia Shi-Lu, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said his ward has a community fund for needy residents who need sums of up to $500, and a welfare committee which can buy big-ticket items for residents if needed or reimburse residents if they produce receipts.

"We do not publicise this too much as we are worried about abuse, but many of my low-income residents will know to come to me or the community centre for help," he said.

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when there was help, people abuse and continue to voice their unhappiness. Yet those who help were told not to judge how they spend these donation or vouchers.

i personally saw one old lady putting all the goodies she received at the road side for sale, item by item from the goodie bag which she received in one of the event on that morning.... perhaps they need cash more than the necessities. Then we were also told not to give cash as we duno how they spend it.

[Ender]

It is sad. Many of those who in need of help does not get their priorities right. My wife use to employ odd job laborer before. Kinda low paying part time job. When they have cash, they take taxi.. My wife, their employer, who don't drive, take bus and MRT. Whatever they have, they spend it all on these unnecessary stuff.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Ender

[Mustank]

This welfare job is really not easy

 

Give welfare, people abuse

Don't give, people kaopeh

 

Maybe must start giving out ang hoon (red smokes) vouchers

[Oblong]

Hard to say lah.

 

If the society is groomed to be jiak lang gao gao, then we don't have the following vid happening over here then.

 

[Adrianli]

Then I think give cooked food better.

[Mockngbrd]

Are they going to use the examples of these few rotten one to remove these handouts for all needy folk?

[Tigerwoods]

A simple solution is to address the Vouchers to the Name and IC of the person.

 

Its indeed sad to see people do this to exchange cash to buy Smokes, Alcohol, maybe call chicken.

[Mustank]

A simple solution is to address the Vouchers to the Name and IC of the person.

 

Its indeed sad to see people do this to exchange cash to buy Smokes, Alcohol, maybe call chicken.

I think wait they buy the rice already then try to sell

But because difficult to sell, this ic method should work well

[Mcf777]

orchard road always saw 1 elderly lady selling these items on the walkway

[Jman888]

orchard road always saw 1 elderly lady selling these items on the walkway

 

 

oh i saw her too, she was at Mandarin hotel junction toward cineleisure.

[Watwheels]

If they dun have money to buy a stove, cooking utensil, rice cooker & cooking gas the gahment give packets of rice and bee hoon got use anot?

 

Giving food vouchers... the vouchers are just a piece of paper to them. No sense of security.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Watwheels

[1fast1]

A simple solution is to address the Vouchers to the Name and IC of the person.

 

Its indeed sad to see people do this to exchange cash to buy Smokes, Alcohol, maybe call chicken.

I thought of making a post saying exactly this (non-transferable vouchers for specific IC holders), but thought better of it. Think about the logistics of doing this for many lower-income persons. Besides which, even after they exchange the non-transferable vouchers for food items, nothing is stopping them from 'lelong' the items outside for cash.

[Rncw]

i duuno about others, but if food vouchers, then i think for those really hungry people are ok, but for those poor but not hungry people, maybe give them other stuff than vouchers...

 

i do not like the idea of those so called charity people who looked at those receiving the food vouchers as tho they're like small kids...

[Soya]

If they dun have money to buy a stove, cooking utensil, rice cooker & cooking gas the gahment give packets of rice and bee hoon got use anot?

 

Giving food vouchers... the vouchers are just a piece of paper to them. No sense of security.

 

den how? gahmen gib $$ or voucher to buy stove, cooking utensils, rice cooker, cooking gas? what's stopping them from lelong-ing these to buy ciggies?

[Tigerwoods]

I thought of making a post saying exactly this (non-transferable vouchers for specific IC holders), but thought better of it. Think about the logistics of doing this for many lower-income persons. Besides which, even after they exchange the non-transferable vouchers for food items, nothing is stopping them from 'lelong' the items outside for cash.

Not easy to Lelong the food items to get cash.

There is NO foolproof way but at least having Name/IC on the Vouchers will help.

 

Frankly I have never seen such vouchers. Can it be used to buy any foodstuff or restricted to some items only ?

It should be able to buy anything other than : Ciggies, Booze, Magazines, condoms, handphone, cashcards etc.

[Jman888]

Not easy to Lelong the food items to get cash.

There is NO foolproof way but at least having Name/IC on the Vouchers will help.

 

Frankly I have never seen such vouchers. Can it be used to buy any foodstuff or restricted to some items only ?

It should be able to buy anything other than : Ciggies, Booze, Magazines, condoms, handphone, cashcards etc.

 

 

they are normal ntuc voucher that like those gift vouchers. It is as good as cash.

[Tigerwoods]

 

 

they are normal ntuc voucher that like those gift vouchers. It is as good as cash.

Then must write down Name and IC number.

Whoever use it must produce IC to match loh.

 

I hate it when these ppl abuse it and may deprive others of genuine need not able to get it if MPs start to become stingy with it.

[Watwheels]

 

den how? gahmen gib $$ or voucher to buy stove, cooking utensils, rice cooker, cooking gas? what's stopping them from lelong-ing these to buy ciggies?

 

Who knows? They might have sold whatever possession they have to get cigs. Maybe the fellow had a rice cooker but find that cigs are better he sold it for cash. And dan go to gahment to ask for help. LoL...

 

Yeah, exactly. Den how?

Edited April 7, 2014 by Watwheels