Issue #81: What's Happening This Week? $900m Support Package, HDB Wait-Out Period Removed, and More

$900 million. That's the fresh support headed to Singapore households and businesses this week, as the government moves to soften the blow from an Iran conflict that's dragged fuel prices — and now, core inflation — higher. Speaking of driving costs, ride-hailing surcharges aren't going anywhere until September. Meanwhile, private property owners just got a much easier path back into the HDB resale market, and MAS caught markets off guard with another policy tightening. A packed week for anyone tracking their wallet — here's the full rundown.

Psst, missed last week's issue? View all past editions of What's Happening This Week? to catch up.

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Singapore rolls out $900m package to cushion Iran war fallout

Households and businesses are getting fresh support as Singapore rolls out a $900 million package to help cope with cost pressures from the ongoing Middle East conflict, announced on 29 July 2026. About two-thirds of the funding goes to households, with the rest supporting businesses.

Household measures:

• $300 more in CDC Vouchers, arriving January 2027—bringing total CDC Vouchers for the year to $800
• Higher U-Save rebates of $110 to $190 per quarter for eligible HDB households in October and January
• ComCare Interim Assistance boosted to at least $250 a month for up to 3 months, with a more flexible income eligibility threshold

Business measures:

• Enterprise Financing Scheme risk-share raised to 70%, up from 50%
• New $500-per-employee SME cash grant, capped at $2,500 per firm
• Rental support of up to $1,200 for cooked-food stalls and $600 for market stalls

This is the second support package since April, when a $1 billion package was rolled out.

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ALSO READ: Singapore Government Payouts 2026: What’s Left to Collect This Year

Ride-hailing fuel surcharges extended to September

Grab, Gojek, CDG Zig and Tada will keep their temporary fuel surcharges running until 30 September, as fuel prices remain elevated more than five months into the war on Iran.

• Grab: 90 cents flat fee on most rides
• Gojek: 90 cents flat fee
• Tada: 90 cents for trips up to $18, $1.20 beyond that
• CDG Zig: 50 cents for fares under $15, 80 cents for $15 and above

The National Private Hire Vehicles Association said the fees are passed on fully to drivers, with no platform commission taken. Petrol prices at the pump have climbed to $3.36–$3.37 a litre for 95-octane, up from around $2.87–$2.88 before the conflict began in late February. Oil prices rose further this week too, after fresh US strikes on Iran and Houthi attacks on tankers in the Red Sea—a sign relief may not be near.

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15-month wait-out period for private property owners buying HDB flats removed

Private property owners no longer need to wait 15 months before buying an HDB resale flat, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat announced on 28 July 2026, with the rule scrapped with immediate effect.

• Resale price index fell 0.1% in Q1 and 0.3% in Q2 2026—two straight quarters of decline
• Since 2022, HDB has processed about 1,800 waiver appeals a year, approving roughly one in four
• Buyers must still sell their private property within six months of completing the HDB purchase
• Those buying subsidised flats or ECs still face a 30-month wait

The wait-out period was introduced in September 2022 as a cooling measure to prioritise resale flats for first-time buyers. Authorities said improved market conditions and a growing pipeline of flats reaching their minimum occupation period meant the rule had served its purpose.

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Singapore's core inflation climbs to 1.6% in June

Singapore's core inflation rose to 1.6% year-on-year in June, up from 1.4% in May, as food, services, and retail prices climbed faster, MAS and MTI said on 23 July 2026.

• Food inflation: up from 1.8% to 2.1%
• Services inflation: up from 1.3% to 1.5%
• Retail and other goods: up from 1.6% to 1.7%
• Private transport inflation eased slightly, from 8.6% to 8.4%

Overall inflation, which includes housing costs, rose to 1.9% from 1.8%. Authorities expect core and overall inflation to average 1.5–2.5% for 2026, warning that higher global energy prices from April to mid-June have yet to fully show up in electricity tariffs, with the impact only landing in the third quarter.

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ALSO READ: How Rising Inflation Can Actually Benefit Borrowers

MAS tightens monetary policy for second time this year

Singapore's central bank tightened monetary policy on 27 July 2026, surprising a market that had largely expected policy to stay unchanged, as it looks to keep a lid on inflation.

• A Reuters poll of 16 analysts found 12 expected no change; only 4 expected tightening
• MAS slightly increased the rate of appreciation of the Singapore dollar policy band, with no change to its width or mid-point
• This follows an April tightening move—MAS' first of the year

A stronger Singapore dollar helps cap imported inflation, since MAS manages policy through the exchange rate rather than interest rates.

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That's it for this week! Stay tuned for next week's What's Happening This Week to keep up with the latest in finance, business, and beyond.