ISSUE OF HAWKER LICENCES TO CITIZENS AFFECTED BY RESETTLEMENT

Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for Law and the Environment if he will consider issuing hawker licences to those citizens who are affected by resettlement.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Chor Yeok Eng) (for the Minister for Law and the Environment): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, hawker licences are not issued to all citizens who are affected by resettlement undertaken by the Government. However, stalls in markets and food centres have been allotted to persons whose earnings are adversely affected by resettlement due to public projects undertaken by the Ministries or departments concerned, so that they can have a new way to make a living.

Mr Yeo Toon Chia (Ang Mo Kio): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary said that action has been taken to issue hawker licences to some, but not to all citizens who are affected by resettlement. Can the Parliamentary Secretary inform this House under what circumstances is allocation of stalls made, and so far how many of those who are affected by resettlement have been given hawker licences?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Sir, in answer to the question concerning the circumstances leading to the allocation of hawker stalls, I would say that basically approval is given to those who are affected to the extent of losing their opportunity to earn a living, for example, fishermen or farmers who, as a result of resettlement, have lost their means of livelihood. Another circumstance could be that the compensation they get is not much and that they are still in financial difficulties, then consideration will be given for the allocation of stalls to such people. On the other hand, hereafter we shall liberalise the issue of hawker licences for such people.

As regards the number of cases of successful allocations, I have some figures here. In the whole year of 1976 168 resettlement cases have been allotted hawker stalls. But these hawker stalls are those built by the Ministry of the Environment, which are of the older type and are not popular, and only one farmer has accepted the offer. In the case of Jurong Town, seven have accepted the offers, whereas in the case of markets under the administration of the Housing and Development Board, 160 cases have accepted the offers. This is because in the Housing Board estates the markets are new and are all sited in population centres. Therefore, their stalls are more popular.

Mr Hwang Soo Jin (Jalan Kayu): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has mentioned in his reply about liberalising the issue of hawker licences. I would like to ask him how is the issue of licences to be liberalised. Secondly, in the case of those affected by resettlement and suffer financial hardship to whom consideration would be given, I would like to ask who is to give such consideration?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, on the point raised by the Member for Jalan Kayu, I would say that consideration is given by a committee to those people who suffer financial hardship directly as a result of resettlement or who have lost their means of livelihood in the process of resettlement. There are now four departments in charge of hawkers, namely, the Ministry of the Environment, the Housing and Development Board, the Port of Singapore Authority and the Jurong Town Corporation. So this coordinating committee, in charge of mutual matters and common measures, will consider such cases.

Mr Ngeow Pack Hua (Boon Lay): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, who really considers the issue of licences? Is it the JTC or the Ministry of the Environment?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, it is the committee which considers such cases. For example, if those affected are in JTC charge then, of course, the recommendation will come from the Resettlement Department of the JTC, and if those affected are in the Housing Board estates, then the recommendation will come from the Housing Board for consideration by the committee.

Mr Hwang Soo Jin: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, who undertakes the investigation? I believe that up till now nobody from any of these departments is undertaking an investigation.

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, on this question I have already stated that the department directly concerned is charged with the responsibility for the investigation. For example, if it concerns the Housing Board, then the Housing Board is responsible for the investigation. If it is the Ministry of the Environment, then that Ministry will take action to investigate the applications, and so on. As far as I am aware, apart from asking the applicants concerned to come for interview, we even carry out on-the-site investigation by calling on the applicants in their homes.

Mr Lai Tha Chai (Henderson): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether consideration will be given to the removal of one of the conditions for the issue of licences, i.e, the applicant must be above 40 years old. To go a step further, is he aware that a person who is more than 60 years old and has only a daughter earning less than $100 to support the aged parents is also not eligible to apply at the moment?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I think it is because of our policy a few years ago to reduce the number of hawkers in Singapore that this age restriction was imposed. It does not necessarily mean that all hawkers must be above the age of 40. In fact, before 1973 a lot of hawkers were in the age group of 20 years and 30 years. However, in cases of difficult family circumstances, for example, the applicant is a widow, those who are disabled or who have medical certificates to show that they are unable to undertake laborious manual work, then special consideration will be given to their application for hawker licences. As I have said, we are now reviewing our policy with a view to liberalising the restrictions on hardship cases, especially in regard to age restriction and other factors. An over-all review of the position is being undertaken at the moment. I think in future the conditions will be more relaxed.

Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi (Kampong Kembangan): Mr Speaker, Sir, is it our policy to progressively reduce the number of hawkers? If so, would it not be true to say that in the long run there will be no hawkers? What then will be the position of the hawkers?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: Mr Speaker, Sir, as a long-term policy, we do not basically encourage roadside hawking. After 1973 we had ceased to issue any more licences for street hawking or roadside hawking. Hawker licences are only issued to those resettlement cases and they are accommodated in sheltered hawker centres. That has always been the policy of the Government because there are a lot of labour jobs without the people to take them. So it is our hope that our citizens will direct their energy to working in private enterprises, factories and other services.

Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi: Mr Speaker, Sir, as the present hawkers get older and with the stringent policy of limiting the transfer of licences to their children. I think we can anticipate that, in the long run, there will be no hawkers. Is it the objective of the Ministry that in the long run there will be no hawkers?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, that is not our policy. In the long run, of course, we will still need the services of the hawkers. As regards the application by members of family for transfer of hawker licences, we have to consider each case on its own merit. For instance, if a hawker licence is held by the father and his children have been helping him all this time, then in such a case, we normally allow the transfer of a licence from the father to a member of his family.