NTUC Enterprise unveils S$50m package to help S’poreans manage cost of living in Covid-19 crisis

SINGAPORE — NTUC Enterprise is rolling out a S$50 million support package that includes an extended price freeze on daily essentials at supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice, continued discounts for senior citizens and members of the Merdeka and Pioneer Generations, and deals at NTUC FoodFare and Kopitiam food courts. 

NTUC Enterprise is the holding entity and single largest shareholder of the labour movement’s social enterprises. 

These social enterprises include NTUC FairPrice, NTUC First Campus, NTUC Foodfare, Kopitiam, NTUC Health, NTUC Income and NTUC LearningHub.

The package, which NTUC Enterprise announced in a statement on Monday (June 22), is to help Singaporeans manage the cost of living during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

For instance, NTUC FairPrice will extend its discount programmes for six months until year’s end. These include:

• A price freeze on 100 “house brand” daily essentials, including rice, oil, drinks, diapers, detergent, poultry, batteries and toiletries. This freeze was meant to end on June 30 this year. The scheme’s extension will provide shoppers with S$6.7 million in savings

• Members of the Pioneer Generation, who are those aged 71 and above this year, will continue to receive a 3 per cent discount on their purchases on Mondays and Wednesdays 

• Members of the Merdeka Generation, who are those born in the 1950s, will continue to get a 3 per cent discount on Wednesdays 

• All other senior citizens aged 60 and older will continue receiving a 2 per cent discount on Tuesdays 

Separately, all NTUC FoodFare and Kopitiam food courts and coffee shops will offer a daily S$1.50 breakfast set — comprising hot coffee or tea, toast and two soft-boiled eggs — from July 3 to Aug 31, 7am to 11am. The set usually costs S$2.20. 

It will cost S$1 for NTUC union members, down from the usual S$1.80. 

The S$50 million package includes the previous S$8.8 million in support measures that NTUC Enterprise had initiated in response to the economic fallout from the pandemic. These included a S$500,000 fund to offset school fees for underprivileged families at NTUC First Campus preschools. 

Mr Seah Kian Peng, group chief executive officer of NTUC Enterprise, said that the group’s resolve to serve Singaporeans has deepened because of the heavy impact brought on by the pandemic. 

“We have put in additional resources to ensure that daily essential products and services, including groceries, childcare and eldercare, remain accessible and affordable for all,” Mr Seah said.