Service and conservancy charges for 27 markets, hawker centres to increase from Jan 2024

Jun 04, 2023 11:35 am

Service and conservancy charges (S&CC) will be raised twice in 2024 for 27 markets and hawker centres owned by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE).

This comes two days after an announcement that S&CC charges for Housing Board residents, shops, offices, markets and food stalls under PAP town councils will be raised due to rising costs.

In a statement on Saturday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the change in charges for MSE-owned markets and hawker centres comes after a review conducted with the ministry, and that the increase will take place in two phases. It noted that the current rates have been unchanged since 2005.

The first increase, which takes effect next January, will see monthly fees rise between $4 and $15 for each stall in the affected markets and hawker centres.

Stalls selling cooked food will have their rates increased by $15, from $140 to $155, while those selling piece and sundry goods will see an increase by $8 to $87. Stalls selling market produce will have their fees hiked by either $4 or $6, depending on the produce.

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The second hike will come into effect in July, and will see rates increased further, from a range of $6 to $20.

Stalls selling cooked food will face a $20 increase, while those selling piece and sundry goods will have fees hiked to $99. Stalls selling market produce will have rates increased by either $6 or $9, depending on the produce.

NEA said that the charges collected are used to cover regular operating costs of the markets and hawker centres, such as general cleaning, utilities and maintenance.

“While the cost of cleaning and maintaining the markets and hawker centres has increased significantly over the years, the current S&CC rates have remained unchanged since 2005,” said NEA, adding that the adjustment is comparable to the recently announced S&CC increase to most HDB-owned markets and hawker centres.

Mr Anthony Low, vice-president of the Federation of Merchants’ Associations Singapore and the chairman for its hawkers division, said the increase in fees is “unavoidable” due to increasing manpower and living costs.

Although the amount may seem steep at first, he acknowledged that the increase in fees does not happen often.

Mr Low, who owns a cooked food stall in Taman Jurong Food Centre, said he feels that the increase is acceptable and will not be passing on any cost to his customers.

“This will unlikely result in hawkers exiting the market, but we hope NEA will ensure that the equivalent incremental value can translate back to improved services and quality to benefit the hawkers,” he added.