7,000 wet market stallholders to receive one-month rental waiver to cope with reduced business

SINGAPORE — Some 7,000 wet market stallholders will receive a one-month rental waiver to help them cope with the impact of lower footfall at markets due to the ongoing heightened alert restrictions.

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, said in a Facebook post on Thursday (June 10) that the waiver would be granted to stalls in markets managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA-appointed operators.

Just last month on May 22, NEA had announced that it would grant a half-month rental waiver for two months to cooked food stallholders at hawker centres it managed. 

Dr Khor wrote: “Many of us visit markets to buy fresh ingredients or sundry goods from our favourite go-to stalls to prepare our meals.

“However, it has been noted that during this current phase of heightened alert, market stallholders are feeling the impact of lower footfall at markets, much like the cooked-food stallholders at hawker centres and other food-and-beverage establishments.” 

Dr Khor also said that self-employed persons, including stallholders, who are facing significant income loss of at least 50 per cent for at least one month as a result of the tightened measures can apply for a one-off payout of S$500 under the Covid-19 Recovery Grant – Temporary, as announced by the Ministry of Finance on May 28.

“During these difficult times, let us all do our part to support one another, including our stallholders,” she added. “Please support our hawker or market stalls with your next food purchase!”