This is a full version of NEA-IMDA’s reply issued to the media agency; published in The Straits Times, 15 Jun 2021.
Digital support gives hawkers more options
We thank Ms Grace Chua’s letter, ‘Digitalisation does not work for all hawker stalls and patrons’ (ST, June 9).
We agree that hawkers in Singapore have varied needs. Some will continue to prefer conventional methods of payment and takeaways. However, a growing number are taking advantage of e-payment, online ordering and food delivery options. These alternatives are especially useful when our hawkers are affected by dine-in restrictions.
They can help the hawkers maintain their livelihoods, beyond the immediate relief that the Government provides through rental waivers and subsidies for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing services for hawkers in hawker centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA appointed operators. During the Circuit Breaker last year, NEA also provided $500 funding assistance for these hawkers to adopt online ordering and food delivery services. More than 1,300 hawkers have benefitted from this, including about 500 hawkers aged 60 years and above.
Nonetheless, we understand some stallholders including hawkers may require more assistance in going digital. With the support of Digital Ambassadors from the SG Digital Office (SDO), more than half of 18,000 stallholders in hawker centres, coffeeshops and industrial canteens operating in government-owned premises have adopted the SGQR e-payment solution under the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)’s Hawkers Go Digital initiative. This is an encouraging result, demonstrating our hawkers’ resilience and openness to going digital.
NEA and SDO are engaging hawkers and industry stakeholders on digital and non-digital solutions to better support our hawkers. Together, we hope to be sharing specific measures soon.
Through this and other efforts, we hope to sustain Singapore’s hawker trade and safeguard our cherished hawker culture.
Andrew Low (Mr)
Group Director, Hawker Centres Group
National Environment Agency
Douglas Goh (Mr)
Director, SG Digital Office
Infocomm Media Development Authority