Further Measures to Support Small Businesses, Especially Stallholders at Markets and Food Centres in Heartlands
Ministry of Sustainability and the EnvironmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns additional measures to support heartland stallholders, as raised by Mr Christopher de Souza who inquired about assistance beyond existing rent stabilization and financial grants. Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon highlighted a recent policy adjustment allowing hawkers to hire Long-Term Visit Pass holders as assistants to ease manpower challenges. He stated that further plans to support markets and hawker centres will be announced during the 2025 Budget Statement and Committee of Supply debates. Regarding Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, the Senior Minister of State noted that the scheme provides financial support to hawkers through resident spending patterns. He observed that these vouchers act as a multiplier for heartland business, with more details potentially forthcoming in the upcoming Budget.
Transcript
16 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry is considering new measures to further support small businesses, especially stallholders at markets and food centres in the heartlands, beyond the existing rent stabilisation measures and financial grants; and (b) if so, what are these measures.
The Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment): Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) has existing measures to support hawkers and also recently adjusted its policy to help hawkers ease manpower challenges by allowing them to hire Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or LTVP+ holders with Letter of Consent (LOC) or Pre-approved LOC to work as their stall assistants, regardless of familial ties.
The Government will announce plans to further support stallholders at markets and hawker centres in the 2025 Budget Statement and Committee of Supply debates.
Mr Speaker: Mr de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State. I was wondering whether MSE has got feedback about the Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers from merchants and hawkers, and whether it is a multiplier effect to generate business in the heartlands? And if so, would they support the additional provision of CDC Vouchers from your Ministry's point of view?
Dr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, I thank the Member for his question. The CDC Voucher Scheme is not administered by my Ministry. But just from anecdotal experience, even from within my own constituency, I do see that quite a number of residents spend their vouchers at many of our hawker stalls. By looking at the spending patterns, we know which hawker stalls are a lot more popular with residents as well, because they spend a lot more of their vouchers at these hawker stalls.
So, I would say if I can extrapolate from that simple experience, I would think that the CDC Voucher Scheme does have an impact on bringing financial support to these hawkers through the spending patterns of our residents. And I am sure at the Budget, more may be announced.