UPPER THOMSON ROAD 2ND SHOPPING CENTRE (Transfer of shops and hawker stalls)

Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for National Development whether he is aware that business at the shops and hawker stalls in the Upper Thomson Road 2nd Shopping Centre is very poor; if consideration is being given to transfer them elsewhere and, if so, what are the plans to develop the present site.

The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Mr S. Dhanabalan) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Upper Thomson Road 2nd Shopping Centre was specially built by the Housing and Development Board to resettle the shopkeepers who were affected by road widening at Upper Thomson Road so that they could continue their business in the same locality. To attract more people to the shops in this Centre, the Board also built market/cooked food stalls.

The resettlement cases have been granted concessional rentals at the Centre. If they claim that their business is poor and they wish to move to other estates, they can tender for the shops in other HDB estates. Alternatively, the HDB is prepared to offer them shops in accordance with the tendered rentals.