Liang Eng Hwa on growing Singapore’s hawker culture

Since the Government decided to resume building hawker centres in 2011, it has also made concerted efforts and allocated significant resources to support the hawker trade which is facing growing challenges in recent years. MP Liang Eng Hwa spoke on this in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 13). As first- and second-generation hawkers get on in age, programmes have been introduced to address the problem of succession and equip new hawkers with the necessary skills. Manpower policy is being relaxed so that hawkers can hire Long-Term Visit Pass holders to ease a labour crunch, and there are measures and grants to improve productivity. Even as modern hawker centres with better facilities sprout across the island, older ones have been upgraded. Heartland digitalisation is helping to bolster the overall hawker centre ecosystem. Amid rising costs, CDC vouchers and private sector initiatives like the DBS' "5 Million Hawker Meals" scheme have helped to support hawkers’ livelihoods. Mr Liang said policies will have to be regularly reviewed to sustain the hawker ecosystem so that hawkers can continue to earn a fair livelihood and Singaporeans can enjoy good and affordable hawker food.