VACANT HAWKER STALLS

Mr Harun A Ghani asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give some indication (a) how many stall holders have given up their stalls; (b) how many have changed their trade; and (c) whether his Ministry will consider allocating vacant stalls for hardship cases, especially those stalls which have not been taken up by tenders.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Mr Speaker Sir, each year an average of 320 stall holders, or 1.7%, give up their stalls and another 50, or 0.3%, change their trade.

The vacant stalls are tendered out and an average of 300 stalls are filled each year in this manner.

The decision to tender out vacant hawker stalls to the general public instead of allocating them to hardship cases was taken in 1990 for several reasons. Operating a hawker stall is a business that requires a financial investment and good culinary skills. Many "hardship" cases allotted stalls in the past were unable to operate their stalls profitably and their businesses failed, leading to more financial hardship. Some resorted to subletting their stalls illegally.

The hawker business is best left to people with adequate resources and culinary skills whilst "hardship" cases should seek other forms of employment or assistance.

Mr Harun A. Ghani (Hong Kah): Could the Minister tell us how many of the "hardship" cases were not up to standard and they had to give up their stalls?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: I do not quite get the question. The policy to allocate stalls to hardship cases was started in 1975 and the policy was stopped in 1990. When the policy was reviewed, it was felt that there was no longer a need for the policy. Maybe I can give an idea of the situation at that time. There were then a total of 648 approved hardship cases on the waiting list. In 1990, when the policy was stopped, a total of 212 vacant cooked food stalls and 1,621 market produce stalls were offered to them. However, there were no takers. In fact, all 648 cases had not selected a stall for nine months and 538 had not selected any stalls for over a year. In fact, most of them were not really in dire need of a stall. Many of them could not operate the stalls. They were hoping to get stalls in good locations so that they could sublet to other people and, indirectly, get a subsidy for living allowance.