KALLANG ESTATE MARKET (Expansion)

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng asked the Minister for the Environment whether his Ministry has done any recent study on the adequacy of the Kallang Estate Market and whether the Market should be expanded to serve the increasing population in Mountbatten Constituency.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Chor Yeok Eng) (for the Minister for the Environment): ( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are 1,898 vacant market-produce stalls as at 31st January, 1981. The tight labour situation has given rise to two trends. First, less people are willing to become market-produce hawkers. Secondly, more working families are eating out or are patronizing supermarkets for their daily necessities. We foresee that this trend will continue.

The Government will convert some vacant market-produce stalls for more productive use and may build smaller markets in future housing estates.

The Kallang Estate Market has 155 market-produce stalls and 16 cooked-food stalls. Five market-produce stalls there are still vacant. There are also two other markets near the Mountbatten Constituency, namely, Sims Avenue market with 285 stalls, and Jalan Batu market with 166 stalls. These three markets can adequately serve the population in the Mountbatten Constituency.

Because of the existing high rate of vacant market-produce stalls, my Ministry will not expand the Kallang Estate Market.