Deep Dive Podcast: Singapore's hawker culture can thrive but we need to embrace that it is evolving, says Grace Fu

With S$1 billion set aside for upgrades and new hawker centres over the coming decades, the Singapore government is tackling issues ranging from infrastructure and hygiene to keep the trade alive. Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu tells Steven Chia and Crispina Robert why she's optimistic. 

Here's an excerpt from the conversation: 

Crispina Robert, host:  
We always miss it when our favourite hawker gives up and he says, "Look, I'm too old, my kids are not going to take after me."

Steven Chia, host: 
I've lost a few hokkien mee stalls already. 

Crispina:
It's very sad. So aside from the infrastructure, this is the challenge, right? 

Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and Environment: 
So that tells us a few things. That the livelihood of hawkers is actually not what our young people would aspire to have, because (for) our parents or grandparents ... that's the only thing that they know of, but their children, their grandchildren are probably well-educated, and there's actually better livelihoods besides being a hawker.

Secondly, we need to think about how to really treat our hawkers better. Is there a way for us to share a bit more with the food costs?

So there are three parties that need to come (together) and have some social compact. What is the role of the patron? What's the role of the government in providing facilities like this, and what's the role of a hawker in providing affordable, tasty, delicious food. I think this has to come to equilibrium that's acceptable to all three parties.

Crispina: 
Yeah, but we always have this mentality that hawker food always has to be affordable.

Steven:
But what do you mean by affordable? Because with inflation, things get more expensive each year. But your S$3.50 bowl of noodles, it still exists today ... which to me, doesn't make sense.

Minister Fu:
(Hawkers) actually don't raise their prices often. They don't raise it every year. Their costs have gone up. So sometimes, I think in the last one, two years, we do see them adjusting. But hey, have they been adjusting throughout all the years, or have they made adjustments once every five years, or once every 10 years?  

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