Overseas Humanitarian Assistance Tax Deduction Scheme (OHAS) Pilot

Response to parliamentary question on what criteria will be used to assess the OHAS pilot, and whether the scope of the scheme could be expanded.

PQ reply 6635. Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what criteria will the Ministry use in assessing the initial four-year pilot for the Overseas Humanitarian Assistance Tax Deduction Scheme; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider extending the pilot to not just emergency humanitarian assistance but to all other humanitarian assistance if the first year of the pilot is successful.

1. The pilot run of the Overseas Humanitarian Assistance Tax Deduction Scheme, or OHAS, is purposefully scoped to apply only to overseas emergency humanitarian assistance, a cause which resonates with many Singaporeans, rather than a broader range of causes. This approach is in line with the current policy framework and is intended to strike a balance between encouraging overseas giving while ensuring that our local charity sector continues to receive the necessary support.
2. The Government will assess the OHAS at the end of its four-year pilot as time is needed to gather sufficient and relevant data on the outcomes of the pilot scheme. The OHAS pilot will be evaluated based on various metrics, including uptake, its impact on giving to both local and overseas causes from Singaporeans, and qualitative feedback from designated charities.