MARKET PRODUCE AND HAWKER FOOD (Cost increase)

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether he foresees the need to study the impact on cost increases of market produce and hawker food after the sale of coffee shops and market stalls in Housing and Development Board estates.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Since the launch of the Stall Ownership Scheme in April 1994, the Ministry of the Environment has been monitoring the prices of market produce and hawker food in the four HDB hawker centres under the first phase of the Scheme. Its price watch showed that the prices of hawker food in purchased stalls were comparable to those in rented stalls in other hawker centres. The prices of market produce have remained unchanged except for seasonal fluctuations. The public has also benefited from better services and a wider variety of produce being sold. The Ministry of the Environment will continue to monitor the trend of food prices.

In addition, my Ministry through the Department of Statistics tracks the prices of market produce and hawker food regularly. This is part of the effort in monitoring inflation. These price data are released monthly for public information.

Such on-going monitoring of prices serves to safeguard the interests of Singaporeans from undue escalation in food prices.