SINGAPORE: A concerned member of the public revealed online that fast food giant McDonald’s increased its Happy Meal price by more than the expected one per cent as a result of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike.
Beginning Jan 1, 2023, the GST increased from 7 to 8 per cent, and although the price hike should not be too noticeable on everyday necessities, members of the public have observed that certain businesses are going beyond the stated one per cent increase.
“Before GST increase S$5 Happy Meal. After GST increase one per cent, they increase five per cent…sigh,” wrote a Facebook group Complaint Singapore member on Friday (Jan 6).
The customer ordered the Happy Meal at the McDonald’s Sun Plaza outlet on Jan 6 and paid S$5.25. According to the breakdown in the receipt, the total “includes GST of S$0.39.”
“No longer a happy meal?” asked a netizen, while another noted that the computation was perhaps based on a one per cent increase on each ingredient such as the patty, bun, sauce, and so on.
“A lot of people still think it is one per cent increase. Actually, the one per cent from the top until the bottom is not one per cent anymore,” noted Facebook user Wang Xinglong.
The Independent Singapore has reached out to McDonald’s for a statement and will update the article accordingly.
This is not the first time that consumers have noticed a significant increase in prices other than the one per cent announced by the government.
There have been complaints that product prices have increased by 5 to 20 per cent. “Your chicken rice which cost S$4.50 last year, can cost S$5 now. That’s more than a 10 per cent increase rather than one per cent,” wrote a netizen on the Singapore subreddit.
The concerned netizen then wondered if more should be done to ensure that the price hike remains within the stated amount./TISG
Guide to Starting a Business in Singapore: Essential Costs and Steps for Entrepreneurs