Self help groups get more government funding help

Fathers and their children taking part in an activity to help them communicate better during a camp to boost father-child bonding on May 1, 2012. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
Fathers and their children taking part in an activity to help them communicate better during a camp to boost father-child bonding on May 1, 2012. -- PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The self-help groups for the Indian and Eurasian communities will be getting more government funding from this year.

The dollar-for-dollar matching grants for the Singapore Indian Development Association (Sinda) and Eurasian Association (EA) will be doubled so that they can help more families. Sinda will receive up to $3.4 million this year, up from $1.7 million previously, while the EA will receive up to $400,000, up from $200,000.

Chinese self-help group Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) will receive a one-off $10 million grant for 2014 to 2018. The last time it received a government grant was also a one-off grant of $10 million for 1992 to 1997.

The matching grant for Malay self-help groups Yayasan Mendaki, the Association of Muslim Professionals and Malay Muslim organisations was already raised from $4 million to $5 million earlier this year.

The increases in grants were announced by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth on Sunday morning, one day after the self-help groups said that they will be raising the contribution rates from next year to cope with rising costs and pay for new programmes.

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