Speech by Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling at CASE’s 55th anniversary and partner’s appreciation dinner

1.            Good evening, CASE President Melvin Yong, former CASE Presidents, CASE Central Committee members, and distinguished guests. 

2.            I am delighted to be here celebrating CASE’s 55th anniversary, and to mark World Consumer Rights Day with you. 

CASE’s Legacy 

3.            When CASE started in 1971, Singapore was a very different place. Singapore was just six years into its independence. 

4.            A group of visionaries from the National Trades Union Congress and passionate consumer advocates saw the need to protect and stand up for consumer rights in Singapore. So they got together to form CASE. 

5.            In the last 55 years, CASE has grown from strength to strength, educating and empowering consumers to helping them resolve disputes, and promoting standards and fair trading in our marketplace. 

6.            Today, CASE is a vital and credible voice for consumers. It is also a valued stakeholder for businesses, and the Government’s trusted partner in upholding Singapore’s consumer protection regime. 

7.            CASE played a critical role in establishing the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, also known as the CPFTA. Enacted on 1 March 2004, it remains the cornerstone of Singapore’s consumer protection framework. 

8.            Over the years, CASE has continued to directly support consumers, while finding new ways to do so. 

a.    For example, it established the CaseTrust hallmark which recognises businesses that do right by consumers. This mark also enables the public to better discern where to transact and make more informed choices. Since its establishment in 1999, CaseTrust has expanded its accreditation to include businesses such as renovation, motoring, spa and wellness and e-commerce platforms. 

b.         In the area of dispute resolution, the CASE Mediation Centre continues to provide affordable and critical assistance to consumers. In 2024, CASE handled 128 cases, with over 80% successfully resolved and more than $270,000 recovered. 

c.         CASE has also adapted to evolving consumer needs. It developed Price Kaki, a mobile application to help consumers compare prices and make informed purchasing decisions. As of tonight, the app has been downloaded over 208,000 times. It recently introduced unit pricing for more than 1,200 items to make price comparisons even easier for the consumer. 

Unit Pricing Initiative 

9.            Since September 2025, the Government and CASE have worked with major supermarkets to pilot unit pricing for common grocery items across more than 180 outlets islandwide and on the Price Kaki app. 

10.         We are encouraged by consumers’ feedback so far. They appreciate knowing the cost per unit as it helps them plan their budgets and purchases better, and avoid overspending. 

11.         We have received suggestions to improve the clarity and consistency of the unit price displays, and to adjust the standard units for certain products. We will study these carefully. 

12.         Building on this good momentum and progress, I am happy to announce that the Government will expand the unit pricing pilot later this year to cover more supermarket operators, both in-store and online, and a wider range of grocery items. 

13.         We have formed an Industry Workgroup, co-chaired by CASE President Melvin Yong and Sheng Shiong CEO Mr Lim Hock Chee to work with participating supermarket operators on this expanded pilot and complementary guidelines for a formal rollout in the future. 

a.         We kicked off the inaugural Workgroup meeting earlier this week. Thank you co-chairs, and members for your strong partnership and support. 

Protecting Consumers from Emerging Risks in the Marketplace 

14.         Furthermore, the Government is working with CASE to safeguard consumers against pre-payment losses, and examining unfair practices in the beauty and wellness sector. 

15.         Last year, we convened the Consumer Protection Review Panel, co-chaired by Mr Melvin Yong with participation from academia and industry. The Panel has been looking closely into these issues, and other emerging challenges, including undisclosed online advertisements. 

16.         The Panel will be launching a public consultation tomorrow to seek feedback and suggestions from the public and industry. I encourage consumers and businesses to share your views to help us shape policies that better protect consumers and facilitate businesses. I also look forward to receiving the Panel’s report and recommendations later this year. These will guide our next steps in strengthening trust in the marketplace.  

Conclusion 

17.         Over the last 55 years, CASE has pioneered many successful milestones for consumer advocacy and achieved successful partnerships with industry and the government. Your hard work has paid off. According to a survey commissioned by CASE in 2025, more than two in three persons surveyed have a positive perception of consumer rights. There has also been increasing awareness of the CPFTA and Lemon Law. 

18.         Tonight, as we celebrate CASE’s 55^th birthday, we also look forward to more new initiatives. I understand that the CaseTrust Gold Scheme for Renovation and an AI Chatbot for consumers are in the pipeline. 

19.         To Melvin and all former CASE Presidents, thank you for your leadership, courage, perseverance and dedicated efforts. To all CASE Central Committee members, the staff behind the scenes, and the volunteers who give their time – you are the reason CASE remains relevant and trusted. 

20.         And to our partners here tonight, thank you for your support. Consumer protection is not something the Government or CASE can do alone. It takes all of us working together. Let’s continue our partnership to forge a consumer-friendly Singapore where trust, happy purchases and businesses go hand in hand!   

21.         Thank you, and enjoy a lovely evening.