Set meals, vegetable packs and eggs for $1 in year-long deal initiative for Bukit Panjang residents

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Natasha Ann Zachariah

SINGAPORE - For just $1, Bukit Panjang residents will be able to get set meals, vegetables packs and eggs each month for a whole year.

The Bukit Panjang Dollar Deal initiative was launched on March 2 at Bukit Panjang Community Club, where residents who had bought $1 tickets redeemed a rice bento set that included chicken, sausages with potato, and tofu.

About 5,000 residents bought tickets for the bento set, which they can collect this weekend at the community club.

The initiative, which ends in February 2025, was put together by Bukit Panjang grassroots organisations (GROs).

They teamed up with 24 community partners such as religious organisations, coffeeshops and other merchants to come up with the monthly deals.

A year-long calendar has already been drawn up, though organisers are hoping to get more partners on board.

For example, in April, residents can buy either a Hari Raya festive meal, or seniors who are 60 or older can get a set meal. There will also be $1 vegetable packs in May and September, a grocery pack in October, and Chinese New Year goodies in January 2025.

Bukit Panjang grassroots organisations will take turns through the year to host each month's deal event, where residents can pick up the food and grocery items. Some of the merchants such as coffeeshops will also offer $1 drink sets at their premises.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa, adviser to Bukit Panjang GROs' efforts, said the initiative is a way to mitigate the rising cost of living for households. Another group that he hopes will benefit from the initiative are seniors, who may not have an income if they are not working.

Mr Liang, who is MP for Bukit Panjang, said that with each monthly deals, residents can get more for a dollar. He added that the dollar deals will benefit about 10,000 households in Bukit Panjang, with each household limited to four tickets through the year.

"In the past, it might seem that you could buy more with $1, but now less. If possible, we want to reverse that a little bit, and say that with one dollar you can still buy something good."

The grassroots organisations received $500,000 from the North West Support Grant, and also tapped on its grassroots funding and donations to kickstart the initiative.

This allows them to offer some 100,000 meal sets or food packs at the subsidised dollar price tag.

In September 2023, North West Community Development Council (CDC) launched the $9.5 million grant that will be disbursed to the 19 divisions in the North West District to help residents cope with rising costs.