Economy rice stalls at Koufu food courts to have price labels for all dishes

SINGAPORE: Economy rice stalls at Koufu food courts and coffee shops will soon have colour-coded price labels for all dishes.

The labels will categorise the types of dishes - meat, seafood, vegetables and premium items - and their individual prices.

It will be implemented across all economy rice stalls in 77 Koufu food courts and coffee shops by the end of this year.

The initiative was launched at Hong Le Mixed Veg Rice stall at Plantation Plaza's Koufu food court on Monday (Mar 24) by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) president Melvin Yong and Koufu's chief financial officer Chua Sher Lin.

It was also witnessed by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling.

The new measure will "enhance price transparency and provide consumers with greater certainty when ordering their usual dishes", said CASE in a press release.

CNA has previously reported about the "inconsistent" pricing of economy rice, with some people online calling for all stalls to display the prices for each individual food item.

Mr Yong said: "Many consumers buy their meals from economy rice stalls, and it is common to hear complaints about the actual price of the meal after the consumer has selected the dishes.

"The dispute often centred on the ambiguity of the prices of the dishes on display. Having colour-coded labels will allow consumers to make informed choices and prevent any potential disputes over prices."

He thanked Koufu for partnering with CASE on the initiative, and hopes it will "lay the groundwork" for all economy rice stalls in Singapore to do the same.

"It is important that we know clearly the price of what we are buying," he added.

Ms Chua added: "This initiative will benefit both customers by making it easier to understand pricing and choices, and stall operators by promoting fair and clear pricing."