SINGAPORE: One bid for a stall at Dunman Food Centre has reached an eye-watering $6,929, according to recent reports.
The bid, which is one of five, was made by a man who already has two drinks stalls and plans on launching a third one. He is also the son of another hawker who runs a stall at the food centre, which is located at 271 Onan Road.
A Nov 18 8world report says some hawkers found the rental rate of almost S$7,000 overly pricey and even “ridiculous.”
One was concerned about how it would affect diners and said lower tender bids are better for everyone. Higher rental rates would mean higher prices for the items sold at the stalls, which diners would see as bad news.
“If we set our prices too high, customers will walk away after asking for our prices,” the hawker added.
However, the report noted that some hawkers are optimistic, given the upcoming changes in the rental renewal policy for successful tenderers from this month’s hawker stall tender exercise and onward.
The Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, Koh Poh Koon, announced this at the Singapore Hawkers’ Seminar and Awards 2024 on Nov 4.
The changes are meant to deter overly high tender bids, with NEA staggering the downward adjustment of tendered stall rentals over a longer period.
Rentals for these hawker stalls will be adjusted downwards by 50 per cent of the difference between their tendered rent and assessed market rent for the second tenancy term.
Dr Koh added that this new measure seeks to encourage more prudent bidding behaviour. In July, a $10,158 bid made the news after it had been accepted at Marine Parade Food Centre in the hawker stall bidding exercise.
Read related: Record-breaking bid of over $10,000 for Marine Parade stall raises eyebrows among hawkers
Over social media, food guru and Makansutra founder Kf Seetoh pointed out, however, that “hawkers also have the same cost of living as the rest of us” and added that hawkers are still required to offer budget meals for about S$3.00, which are meant for the less needy.
The Dunman Food Centre stall appears to be among those on the list released by the National Environment Agency. The tender notice opened on Nov 13 and closes on Nov 26. /TISG
