FOOD PRICES IN MARKETS AND FOOD CENTRES (Increase)

Mr John De Payva asked the Minister for the Environment whether food prices in the markets and food centres, where the stalls have been sold, have gone up.

The Minister for the Environment (Mr Mah Bow Tan): Mr Speaker, Sir, the first phase of the Stall Ownership Scheme involved four centres. All four centres had cooked food sections while only two centres had markets. Based on the latest price survey carried out by my Ministry in mid-February, the majority or 86% of the cooked food stalls that were surveyed have not raised their prices. The rest have raised their prices by 10 cents for drinks and between 20 and 50 cents for cooked food. These prices are comparable with those of similar cooked food stalls elsewhere.

Market produce prices are subject to seasonal fluctuations. Prices in the two markets under the Stall Ownership Scheme were found to be comparable to prices in other markets.

Mr John De Payva (Nominated Member): Sir, would the Minister say if there is any means or measure that the Ministry can do to check or control prices from escalating?

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Sir, the Ministry requires cooked food stalls to display prices. We do not check on the prices and we have no means to ensure that the prices are not raised. In fact, the same survey also shows that prices in some stalls that have not been sold have also raised their prices. Ultimately, it is a question of whether stallholders themselves feel that the customers are prepared to pay the higher prices. If they feel that the customers are not prepared to pay and if customers themselves send a signal that they are not prepared to pay these high prices and that they are willing to take their custom elsewhere, then that is the surest way of making sure that prices are not raised.