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AsiaOne
a day ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
'No hawkers have been penalised': Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre says stallholders don't have to provide free meals, Singapore News
Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre has decided to hold back on its Pay-It-Forward initiative where hawkers must provide free meals for the needy each month or risk being penalised. The issue was first raised by local food critic KF Seetoh on Aug 8, when he posted a screenshot of what appears to be a contract stating the breakdown of the requirement for the hawkers and calling it "forced charity". Amid public backlash, the management at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre said in a Facebook post on Friday (Aug 15) that it will be removing the clauses requiring the provision of free meals when the tenancy agreements are renewed in September. The hawker centre is managed and operated by Canopy Hawkers Group, a subsidiary of Food Canopy. It added: "No hawkers have been penalised for not providing free meals under the tenancy agreements and we also do not intend to enforce the obligation in the future." Seetoh's remarks about hawkers being "contractually forced" to provide budget meals priced up to $3.50 were also addressed. "To provide residents with a range of offerings at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, we work with our hawkers to offer food options at different price points. This includes more affordable value meals. These value meals do not form a large part of the meals sold, and our hawkers are not expected to make a loss selling value meals," the management added. Earlier, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said Seetoh's concerns regarding the Pay-It-Forward clause did not present the full picture. In a Facebook post on Aug 11, Ong explained that stallholders had originally agreed to provide 30 meals a month for low-income residents, which had been adjusted to 100 meals over the three-year duration of their lease. He also noted that the initiative had not commenced: "I appreciate KF Seetoh's concern for our hawkers and share his passion for keeping our hawker culture alive and thriving. "However, let's do so without putting down anyone, whether they are patrons, hawkers, the hawker centre operator, or government agencies." [[nid:721397]] syarifahsn@
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Hawkers at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre will not need to provide free meals under new contracts
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre's management said the free meals initiative had never been implemented. SINGAPORE – The management of Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre will scrap clauses requiring hawkers to provide free meals when their contracts are renewed in September. Following days of public outcry, the management said in a Facebook post on Aug 15 night that it may not proceed with its Pay-It-Forward initiative in its current form, which contractually required stallholders to provide free meals for the needy each month at their own expense, or risk being penalised. It added that it was making a public commitment that it does not intend to enforce the obligation in the future. The hawker centre is run by Canopy Hawkers Group, a subsidiary of Food Canopy. Debate surrounding the Pay-it-Forward initiative first gained traction on Aug 8 when veteran food critic K.F Seetoh criticised the management's attempt at 'forced charity' in a Facebook post , which included a screenshot of the contract. On Aug 11, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who oversees the ward where the hawker centre is located, said on Facebook that hawkers did not face penalties if they did not provide the meals. However, a 2022 contract shown to media, including The Straits Times, indicated that hawkers could chalk up demerit points if they did not provide the meals. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? 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Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre on Aug 15 said that it acknowledged that participation in charitable causes should be voluntary. It reiterated its position stated in its Aug 12 post, that when stall applications opened three years ago, the initiative had been incorporated into tenancy agreements to differentiate applications and 'select the hawkers who shared our vision to contribute back to the community'. Before the hawker centre opened in 2022, the management had attracted 'overwhelming' interest, with nine applicants for each available stall. The management's Aug 12 post said it 'significantly reduced' the number of meals under the Pay-It-Forward programme to 100 meals over the three-year tenancy period, following discussions with the stallholders after the hawker centre was opened. Even so, the programme has not officially started, as the management has not done the preparatory work to identify low-income residents and track their eligibility. 'While hawkers have voluntarily agreed to participate at the point of selection, we also acknowledged the view that charity should not be contractual, and this is something to be reviewed again when the Pay-It -Forward programme is ready,' it added. On Aug 15, the management further shared that it held back implementing the initiative as some hawkers had said they may not be able to fulfil their commitments, even though they would have liked to 'if their circumstances had been better'. It added: 'We also learnt that in the constituency we are in, the concept of the meal assistance programme is called 'Belanja a Meal', relies on voluntary contributions from patrons, instead of hawkers.' The management noted that no hawkers have been penalised for not providing free meals under the tenancy agreements, and said it did not intend to enforce the obligation in the future. 'This is a commitment we are making publicly,' it added. The management said that it will work with hawkers to offer 'affordable value meals', and that its hawkers 'are not expected to make a loss selling value meals'. It said: 'We remain committed to fostering a caring community while ensuring fairness for our hawkers, and will continue to engage openly with tenants and the public as we refine the programme'. The SEHC model was started in 2011 when the Government resumed building hawker centres. The scheme had the aim of helping a new breed of hawker centres succeed, by ensuring good visitorship, a diverse food mix that responds to evolving needs, and long-term viability. Discussion about whether the model was the right way forward sparked debate in Parliament in November 2018. Following that, the National Environment Agency introduced a series of changes aimed at easing the constraints on hawkers.
