Hawkers query rents at new food centre

[fotoudavid]

HAWKERS from the iconic Bedok Food Centre are worried about possible rent hikes after they move to a new centre.

At yesterday's East Coast Remaking Our Heartland launch, six representatives peppered Senior Minister S. Jayakumar and fellow East Coast GRC MP Lee Yi Shyan with questions about their future after their lease expires in May 2014.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_624767.html

Last month, about 50 of the 70 hawkers there had petitioned the Government to retain the centre.

Yesterday, they were happy to hear that a new food centre will be built next to the existing one, and that they would be given priority at the new site, targeted to be completed by the time the lease expires. But it has not been decided whether the new centre will be run by the National Environment Agency or a private developer.

'If a private developer takes over, the rent can reach $5,000 to $6,000 a month,' said fishball noodle seller Richard Teo, 51, chairman of the centre's hawkers' association, who initiated last month's petition. The stall owners now pay $1,100 to $1,400 a month.

'We don't want to raise our food prices because of the rent,' said wanton noodle seller Ivy Tan, 47. 'This is a place for HDB heartlanders to have their three meals.' The hawkers said Mr Lee had told them that more details would be available in one or two weeks.

 

[ninelives]

nowadays food centers are usually owned by private developers, they only care about the money, they dont care about the quality...all lousy foods.

 

[Muckafutha]

On one hand, we are talking about the livelihoods of the hawkers if the rent rises too much. On the other hand, i don't really think the hawkers are really concerned if we have 3 meals to eat.

If their food is good, by all means raise their prices, Singaporeans are more than willing to queue and pay exhorbitant prices for so called "worth waiting for" food.

Anyway even if the rent didnt rise, food prices have already been rising. So its just an excuse to raise prices yet again.

 

[aryanto]

I think gov need to think about rising food cost where rental cost play a big part in that.

 

[fotoudavid]

Government will be stabilizing the food cost in few months time, but dun think they can achieve that, base on the fact that they cannot really control private rental.....

rental is the killer......

 

[aryanto]

Government will be stabilizing the food cost in few months time, but dun think they can achieve that, base on the fact that they cannot really control private rental.....

rental is the killer......

But they are also partly responsible of doing the upgrades and raising rental.
Then I heard there are also people who sub-let the hawker stall they got.
If it is sharing it because it is too large then it is fine, but they should not profit from it.

Understandably the old maxwell hawker center is really :thumbsd: in terms of cleanliness.
I have eaten there and saw how big the rats are, on the ground and some are running around at the divider. But funny the food taste better then than now. :thumbsd:
However I heard after the upgrade the rent is too high for some older hawker they just pack and retire.

 

[de_stan]

If KOUFU or FOOD REPUBLIC takes over, can say goodbye to the food quality for sure. On top of that the price will increase 40%-50% just because of the change in mgt.
Im always a fan of traditional hawker food.
I think that is a unique local identity and flavour and should be preserved.

 

[ninelives]

If KOUFU or FOOD REPUBLIC takes over, can say goodbye to the food quality for sure. On top of that the price will increase 40%-50% just because of the change in mgt.
Im always a fan of traditional hawker food.
I think that is a unique local identity and flavour and should be preserved.

you know the bak kuh teh at 313 ? $9.90 per bowl and it tastes like 5hit ...