Panel looking into appeals to enter pioneer package scheme

SINGAPORE — The Central Provident Fund Board receives about 700 calls a week from Singaporeans about the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP), with most seeking more information on the benefits of and eligibility criteria for the package and one-fifth appealing to enter the scheme, said Senior Minister of State (Finance and Transport) Josephine Teo yesterday.

A panel is looking into the appeals and will “carefully deliberate” the cases, including asking for more information from these individuals, she told reporters during a tour with Senior Minister of State (Health) Amy Khor of the production site for the PGP welcome pack, which will be sent out from next month.

Asked if any appeal has been accepted so far, Mrs Teo said the appeals panel had met more than once and was still in the process of working out the approach to take when assessing appeals. More will be shared in due course, she added.

The PGP welcome pack — which will be given out to those aged 65 years and above this year and who became citizens before 1987 — will include a card that will identify them to healthcare providers for special subsidies.

The distribution of the 450,000 welcome packs will be completed by September, when healthcare subsidies for pioneers start. All pioneers will be placed on the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) for subsidies at participating general practitioner and dental clinics and will get an additional 50 per cent off subsidised treatments at polyclinics and Specialist Outpatient Clinics.

Apart from the card, the package includes a personalised list of the six nearest CHAS clinics to the pioneer’s home, a CHAS clinic directory, a booklet detailing in four languages the benefits of the PGP and fridge magnets with the PGP hotline printed on it.

The welcome pack costs about S$5 each to produce and mail, and was created to “ensure that we effectively communicate the package to pioneers”, said Dr Khor. She added: “The people in charge of developing, creating, conceptualising and producing the welcome pack have put a lot of thought and effort into making it elder-friendly. If you look at the font size, it is elder-friendly, even the colour scheme.”