Mail LED vouchers directly to households

While it is commendable that the National Environment Agency (NEA) and North East Community Development Council (CDC) are giving out vouchers to eligible households for them to purchase energy-saving LED lights, the administrative process could do with some fine-tuning (Helping households take a shine to LED lights; Aug 19).

It was reported that eligible households within the North East District will be notified via post to collect their $25 vouchers from designated collection points.

It appears redundant to inform residents about this scheme by post, and then ask them to make a trip to a collection point to pick up the vouchers.

I suggest that the vouchers be attached to the circular to residents. Not only can the relevant agencies cut down on the logistics needed to create collection points, but it also saves time and effort for residents.

We have to bear in mind the intended beneficiaries - residents living in one-and two-room public housing flats. Given that they are typically low-income households, they may not have the luxury of time to make their way down to collect the vouchers.

There might be residents engaged in wage work who may not have the time to run such errands.

Also, what about such residents who need to pay and take public transport just to collect the vouchers?

These residents can save time and money if the NEA and North East CDC cut down the unnecessary need to run such errands. It will also make life easier for them to receive the vouchers directly through post.

If theft of vouchers is a concern, the agencies can consider labelling the vouchers with people's NRIC numbers.

With that, only the intended owner can spend the vouchers, thwarting any plans for theft.

Furthermore, recipients would be unable to trade labelled vouchers for cash to spend on other things, which would defeat the original purpose of giving those residents vouchers to buy LED lights.

If mailing the vouchers directly could be done for the NS50 vouchers, I do not see why it cannot be done for this.

Sean Lim Wei Xin

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 22, 2018, with the headline Mail LED vouchers directly to households. Subscribe