Hawkers at Holland Village market say "no" to conversion

SINGAPORE: Hawkers at a market and food centre in Holland Village have changed their mind about turning the wet market section into an area for cooked food stalls.

In August 2011, over 20 hawkers petitioned the National Environment Agency (NEA) for the conversion. They had hoped the revamp would help improve business.

The Holland Village Market and Food Centre was upgraded in 2005, but business dropped by 90 per cent after that.

64 per cent of the 33 hawkers at the market are now saying "no" to the plans.

The hawkers at the market and food centre largely depend on their regular customers for business, and said it is tough to expand their customer base.

The hawkers changed their minds about the conversion, partly out of concern over higher rent after the revamp.

Ang Siew Hoe, an auditor with the Holland Village Market Hawker Association, said: "We voted against the plan after the authorities said there’d be a rise in rent. Also, based on the new guidelines, we can’t assign someone else to run the stall or sublet it, so we find it better for the centre to retain its status quo."

—CNA/ac