First of 20 new hawker centres will open in Hougang in August 2015

First of 20 new hawker centres will open in Hougang in August 2015
First of 20 new hawker centres will open in Hougang in August 2015

SINGAPORE - Hougang residents will soon get a new food haunt, when a 24-hour hawker centre opens at the Ci Yuan Community Club in August 2015.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement on Monday that the new hawker centre, located within the community club along Hougang Avenue 9, will have 40 cooked food stalls, and can seat up to 640 people.

"Residents can look forward to enjoying affordable food at the new centre, which will also be equipped with tray-return facilities, natural ventilation and family-friendly features such as child-friendly toilet facilities and family-friendly seating," the NEA said.

It added that Fei Siong Food Management will manage the new hawker centre on a not-for-profit basis, by channelling operating surplus "to improve vibrancy and create social benefits".

For instance, at least 20 of the 40 cooked food stalls in the new hawker centre would be under Fei Siong Food Management's Entrepreneurship Programme, which aims to provide a head start for young or new hawkers who wish to enter the trade but lack the capital and knowledge to run a hawker stall.

Patrons will also be assured of moderated food prices, as the new hawker centre will have two stalls offering food items with lower prices to serve as a benchmark for the other stalls in the centre. This ranges from 80 cents for a cup of coffee to $2.80 for a bowl of fish ball noodles.

"The other 38 stalls are required to provide at least two food items within a specific price range based on Fei Siong Food Management's price guidelines," the NEA said.

Average monthly stall rental will range from $1,500 to $1,800 - comparable to the average monthly market rental paid by stallholders in existing hawker centres in the Hougang area.

The new centre in Hougang is the first of the 20 new hawker centres that the Government had pledged to build.

In March 2015, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, which oversees the NEA, had said it will build 10 more hawker centres over the next 12 years in a bid to moderate hawker rentals and keep food prices affordable.

These will come on top of the 10 hawker centres in 10 years that the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) had committed in 2011 to build. The first two of these centres will open in Bukit Panjang and Hougang this year.

Those keen to operate a stall at the hawker centre at Ci Yuan Community Club can contact Fei Siong Food Management on 9828-8089 or ciyuan@feisiong.com.sg

The Straits Times/ S'pore Published on Monday, 8 June 2015 By Audrey Tan First of 20 new hawker centres will open in Hougang in August 2015
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