Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on operation of hawker centres by social enterprises by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on operation of hawker centres by social enterprises by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) as of 31 December 2023, how many hawker centres are operated by social enterprises; (b) how do costs at hawker centres operated by social enterprises, such as rent, table-cleaning and dishwashing fees, and parking fees, compare to those at hawker centres operated by the National Environment Agency; and (c) whether these costs are regulated by the Government, and, if not, why not.

Answer:

1 As of 31 Dec 2023, there are 12 hawker centres that are operated by Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre (SEHC) operators.

2 To ensure that stall rental at SEHCs is kept reasonable and affordable, when the National Environment Agency (NEA) assesses bids, it takes into consideration the proposed rental, operating costs, and ancillary costs to be paid by stallholders such as table cleaning fees and central dishwashing charges. The operator is not allowed to charge stallholders rent that differs from that stated in the tender bid or subject the stall rentals to bidding.

3 The median stall rental at SEHCs is comparable to that at similar hawker centres operated by NEA, taking into account stall sizes and amenities. The ancillary costs of business operations at SEHCs, such as table-cleaning fees and centralised dishwashing (CDW) services, are also comparable with those at similar hawker centres operated by NEA.