Dear readers, we are celebrating the 60th birthday of Singapore (SG60) this year.
And this year will also be the year where very likely the committee that has been tasked to look at rejuvenating the Singapore stocks markets will roll out the measures to inject the much-deserved vibrancy into the Singapore stocks markets.
With the confluence of SG60 and the review of Singapore Stocks Markets, I was thinking why not bring back the special discounted shares (SDS) scheme for this year?
As a recap, the SDS scheme was a programme to give Singaporeans a greater stake in the country. Under the SDS scheme, Singaporean CPF members were able to buy discounted Singapore Telecom (Singtel) shares in 1993 (ST “A” shares) and 1996 (ST2 shares).
The bringing back of SDS for SG60 year will go towards rewarding Singaporeans with a greater stake in the country this year as all of us celebrate SG60.
Further, bringing back SDS will surely help give the much-deserved boost to the Singapore stocks markets, one of the aims under the committee to review Singapore’s current stock market.
And there is no better stock that I can think of for which the SDS can apply: DBS stock.
DBS stock has been a beneficiary of Singapore’s growing economy and DBS stock is currently trading at one of the all-time high of SGD $43.62.
A SDS scheme can be implemented for Singaporean CPF members to buy DBS stock at a discount, say a 25% discount at $30 per share.
Such a SDS scheme will definitely make SG60 a very meaningful and welcoming year for Singaporeans, especially savers and investors!