As the cost of living continues to rise, many Singaporeans are being increasingly conscious about how much they’re forking out for meals.
That’s why the authorities are making sure that more budget meals are available for us to fill our bellies affordably.
However, as the average person might not know where to find these budget meals, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) has rolled out a new website to help us locate those nearby.
Source: Sim Ann on Facebook
Each of these listings will offer one or more full meals that cost S$3.50 or less.
In a press release on Friday (19 May), HDB announced the launch of BudgetMealGoWhere.
The website allows users to find HDB kopitiams that offer budget meals near their location.
All they have to do is enter their postal code in the search box and click “GO”, similar to the Covid-related MaskGoWhere, ARTGoWhere and VaccineGoWhere portals.
Source: BudgetMealGoWhere
Users can also find the platform in the LifeSG app and website.
Upon inputting their postal code, users will see a list of kopitiams offering budget meals, starting with those within 2km of their location.
More conveniently, under each kopitiam’s name will also be a list of the exact budget dishes available and their prices. People can thus easily decide whether it suits their taste and wallet.
Source: Sim Ann on Facebook
All the options will be lunch and dinner meals “priced affordably as compared to the average price of meals sold at nearby eating establishments”, HDB said.
Budget meals typically cost around S$3 to S$3.50 while budget drinks retail for around S$1 to S$1.15 each.
They will be full meals to satiate one’s stomach in one sitting, not side dishes, snacks, kids’ meals or half-portion meals.
In case they need more confirmation, customers should look out for the “budget meal” sticker on the participating stall’s signage that denotes exactly what’s on offer.
Source: Sim Ann on Facebook
So far, 40 kopitiams are currently listed on the BudgetMealGoWhere portal.
If that sounds like it’s too few, HDB has promised that more will be added progressively as more F&B establishments join the programme.
In fact, there will be as many as 130 kopitiams listed on the website by the end of the year, Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann said in a Facebook post on Friday (19 May).
She previously announced in March that all 374 HDB kopitiams would have to offer budget meal options by 2026.
That covers nearly half of all kopitiams located in HDB estates. The remaining 402 are owned and managed by private operators.
This means all HDB kopitiams up for rent renewal from this month will have to provide four budget meals and two budget drink options, as a condition for renewal of their tenancy.
HDB will offer these operators a 5% rental discount off the market valuation-based renewal rents for one year. To get the discount, they’ll have to prove that they’ve implemented the budget meals and drinks.
There’s also good news for HDB residents who feel that there are not enough food options nearby.
HDB is building another 34 coffee shops in Singapore estates, and they’re slated for completion in the next five years, they said.
These will be added to the 37 new coffee shops that were completed in the last five years.
With these moves, every Singaporean who needs budget meals will hopefully be able to avail themselves of them.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Sim Ann on Facebook.
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