ONLY 27 OUT OF 200 SUNGEI ROAD HAWKERS ACCEPTED NEW STORES – WHAT ABOUT THE REST?

I refer to the article “Sungei Rd vendors receive more help” (Straits Times, Jun 17).

It states that “The National Environment Agency (NEA) yesterday said that more than 40 lock-up stalls, up from the previous figure of 30, have been set aside at market rent, which ranges from $240 to $900.

With a month to go before Singapore’s last free hawking zone is closed, NEA said that 27 of around 200 Sungei Road Hawking Zone (SRHZ) sellers have already been allocated these lock-up stalls.”

So, does it mean that out of the around 200 vendors or so – only 27 have taken up the offer?

How are we really helping them by charging them market rates?

As to “The 11 original Sungei Road vendors who had permits to hawk at the open-air market were earlier offered a stall free for the first year and at a 50 per cent subsidy for the second year” – why are only 11 out of 200 offered reduced rental for the first two years?

Leong Sze Hian
A.S.S. Contributor