THE Government recognises that charities will hit a wall during this economic downturn, so it may incorporate some form of aid for them in the coming Budget.

Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Sunday night at a charity dinner that it is in difficult times that needs grow larger and families find it harder to cope:

'The business of charity becomes more important ... and more challenging, because it's more difficult to raise funds in times of a downturn.

'We recognise this and will be looking at some measures in our forthcoming Budget to pull the charity sector through this.'

He was speaking at the annual fundraising gala dinner held by palliative care centre Assisi Hospice. He also launched its Christmas light-up donation drive, in which members of the public buy bulbs for a 10m tall tree in the hospice's grounds.

The minister did not elaborate on the kind of measures the Government was considering.

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.