Public Transport Vouchers Disbursed with Letters Bearing Letterheads of Citizens' Consultative Committees

Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) why are Public Transport Vouchers disbursed on letters bearing the letterheads of Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs); (b) what other Government transfer payments, such as one-time payouts, support schemes, awards or bursaries, are disbursed through the CCCs or other grassroots organisations (GROs); and (c) what is the role of the grassroots adviser in the disbursement of such Government transfer payments via the CCCs or GROs.

Grassroots Organisations (GROs), including Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs), promote social cohesion through various community bonding activities. They also raise awareness of and help administer Government programmes, including in last-mile delivery to support our population. The Grassroots Advisers (GRAs) guide the GROs in these engagement and outreach efforts. The GRAs and GROs may also directly assist needy households by leveraging a range of Government and local assistance schemes, such as the CCC ComCare Fund.

In the case of Public Transport Vouchers (PTVs), the Government taps on the GROs to notify eligible households to claim their PTVs at public transport nodes. Through their networks in the community, GROs also play an important role to help raise awareness of and help administer the PTV programme. GROs also assess applications for PTVs from needy households who marginally miss the eligibility criteria or who might require additional PTVs.