Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Support for Stallholders at Market and Food Centres

18 February 2025

Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Support for Stallholders at Market and Food Centres by Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment

Question:

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Ministry is considering new measures to further support small businesses, especially stallholders at markets and food centres in the heartlands, beyond the existing rent stabilisation measures and financial grants; and (b) if so, what are these measures.

Answer:

1 The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment has existing measures to support hawkers, and also recently adjusted its policy to help hawkers ease manpower challenges by allowing them to hire Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or LTVP+ holders with Letter of Consent (LOC) or Pre-approved LOC to work as their stall assistants, regardless of familial ties. The Government will announce plans to further support stallholders at markets and hawker centres in the 2025 Budget Statement and Committee of Supply debates.