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The practice of subletting stalls among hawkers, which drives up rental rates, will stay in place.
The process, which is based on what the market can bear, is a private arrangement among stallholders, said Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, in response to Madam Cynthia Phua (Aljunied GRC), who was concerned about the rising rental rates caused by subletting and its effect on food prices.
“My ministry currently has no plans to further moderate rental rates, as market rents are reassessed at the point of every tenancy renewal,” he said.
“The rates may rise or fall, depending on the prevailing market conditions.”
Subletting is a process by which a hawker who leases a stall at the rate set by the government lets it out to another at a higher price, with the hawker keeping the difference.