DBS to subsidise 5 million hawker meals amid rising food prices

DBS/POSB announced on Wednesday (Feb 1) that it will subsidise five million meals at hawker centres over the next 12 months, as food prices continue to rise amid inflationary pressures. 

Singaporeans and residents who use DBS’ mobile wallet app PayLah! to pay for their meals will receive a subsidy of S$3. The subsidies, available every Friday for the coming year, will go out to the first 100,000 users on that day each week.

About 11,600 hawker stalls islandwide, including those in coffeeshops and JTC industrial canteens, which display the SGQR (Singapore Quick Response Code) label are taking part in this programme.

The initiative runs from Feb 10 until Jan 19, 2024.

Shee Tse Koon, DBS Singapore country head, said: “With persistent inflation and rising cost of living, we understand the concerns among Singaporeans and residents that their money is not going as far as before.”

“We hope this small gesture can provide some encouragement as we ride out these tough times together.”

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The bank also hopes to support the livelihoods of hawkers with this initiative.

DBS also announced that it will work with government agencies, such as the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and grassroots organisations, to run digital literacy workshops for seniors. This will ensure that more people in the community know how to access the subsidy. 

It is part of the bank’s push to get more people to opt for digital payments. 

Loh Teck Sheng, a 68-year-old hawker in Tiong Bahru Market, said he welcomed the programme because it would draw more customers to the hawker centre. He also said it was a good idea to run those digital literacy workshops for seniors, “so they won’t be left behind as society advances”.

In 2021, the bank, in another of its efforts to support the community, launched the DBS Adopt-A-Hawker Centre Initiative, which helped hawkers tide through the drop in business during the Covid-19 pandemic through group buys and digitalisation drives.