Budget Meal Options at Market and Food Stalls Sold to Private Owners
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns measures to provide budget meal options for residents in estates where market and food stalls were sold to private owners. Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee stated that while all 374 rental coffee shops must provide budget meals by May 2026, 402 privately-owned coffee shops are currently exempt. HDB has invited private owners to voluntarily participate and is studying regulatory options, such as making budget meals a condition for renewing outdoor refreshment areas. Currently, 80 rental coffee shops offer at least four budget meals and two drinks, with numbers expected to reach 130 by end 2023. These initiatives aim to help low-income households manage living costs by ensuring affordable food options are available throughout HDB estates.
Transcript
106 Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for National Development with reference to the Ministry's decision to require all coffee shops leased from HDB to offer budget meal options upon their tenancy renewal starting May 2023, what measures will be implemented to help residents living in estates where HDB has sold most of the market and food stalls to private owners, to have budget meal options, especially for those from low-income households.
Mr Desmond Lee: To help Singaporeans manage cost of living and ensure the availability of affordable food options in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates, HDB announced the Budget Meals initiative in March 2023. Under this scheme, all rental coffee shops that are renewing their tenancies from May 2023 onwards will be required to offer at least four budget meals and two budget drink options. There are currently about 80 coffee shops offering budget meals under this initiative. This number is expected to rise to about 130 by end 2023 and, by May 2026, all 374 rental coffee shops will provide budget meal and drink options.
Besides rental coffee shops, there are 402 privately-owned coffee shops which are not subject to HDB's tenancy requirements. However, HDB has reached out to privately-owned coffee shop owners and operators and invited them to voluntarily join the national effort to provide budget food options in HDB estates. HDB is also studying additional regulatory options to require budget meals to be provided. These include the suggestion made by Mr Murali Pillai in Parliamentary Question No 4642, set down for answer on 4 July 2023, where he proposes that the provision of budget meals be made a condition for the granting or renewal of outdoor refreshment areas for coffee shops.