Singapore – The National Day Parade (NDP 2020) Singapore Together Pack meant for 80 per cent of the households in Singapore can be collected from Monday (July 20).
Although the packs are usually produced for 90 per cent of households, the present number have been estimated to be adequate for those who still wish to celebrate the NDP on Aug 9.
Any packs not collected will be distributed to homes or institutions so that there is no wastage.
The goodies will be placed in a reusable grocery bag designed by local artists with disabilities and Primary Five pupils. It can also be folded into a small pouch. According to the gov.sg website, it will contain:
Handheld flag
Snack and canned drink
Face tattoo
Red filter for phone torch
“Our Heart for Singapore” card
Iron-on flag
SG Together commemorative magnet
State flag (upon request at the counter)
Thermometer
Face mask
Hand sanitiser
Each Singapore Together Pack costs about S$2.40, from the contents to the logistics.
Singaporeans and Permanent Resident households can collect the packs at community centres from July 20 to Aug 2 and at Residents’ Committee (RC) centres from July 20 to 26. For more information on the specific collection centre, click here. One’s NRIC is needed to redeem, with each household being eligible for only one pack. The collection time is from 10 am to 6 pm daily, except on public holidays.
There were concerns following the initial announcement on the packs that they would be a waste of resources. Many agreed that the resources put into making them could be put to better use.
A man, Mr Kaushik Ilango, started a petition online highlighting such concerns and it garnered 114,033 signatures although the initial limit was 50,000. While not against the idea of receiving the NDP pack and celebrating the “joy” that it brings, Mr Kaushik believes “there could be a much better use of the resources used to make roughly 1.4 million fun packs; such as the perishable goods inside the fun pack, the novel single-use items, the manpower to acquire, make and distribute the fun packs and not to mention the planning of it”.
In response to the latest update and collection process, a Facebook user has suggested for an option to leave unwanted items such as the thermometers so they could be donated directly to those in need.
/TISG
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Netizens petitioning against NDP funpack call it a “waste of money and resources”