GEIS-新闻详情

City Gas offers rebates to help over 2,600 hawkers

2021-09-08 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE - It is a familiar story of tenacity by now: hawker stalls hunkering down to keep on serving affordable and delicious food despite feeling the pinch amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zi char stall Quan Ji, which has operated out of Amoy Street Food Centre for the past 38 years, was hard hit by unprecedented work-from-home restrictions. It saw business drop by around 60 per cent during the circuit breaker last year.

"Our customers are mostly office workers, and there are not many residents nearby," said Mr Tony Siew, 48, who runs the stall with his parents and three workers.

While workers have started to return to the office, his takings are still 40 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, said the third-generation hawker.

"The hardest thing is to maintain our workers, bring money back to the family and pay rental."

He said every bit of help counts as they ride out this storm - including help from City Gas.

Mr Siew is one of over 2,600 hawkers from 59 hawker centres in Singapore who will receive gas rebates from the gas supplier totalling over $1 million.

Worth up to $100 a month - up to $400 in total - the rebates will be automatically deducted from their gas bill for the months of September to December this year.

City Gas said the average gas bill for hawker stalls is $300 to $400 per month.

The supplier has made the move as it recognises that hawkers provide basic daily meals for everyone in Singapore.

Its chief executive, Mr Perry Ong, said on Wednesday (Sept 8): "Hawkers in Singapore have been hit hard by the pandemic, and it is more important than ever to support them now.

"We are at a turning point for the hawker trade and for our nation, which is why City Gas feels we must do our part to help our local culinary heroes and preserve our local food heritage."

Mr Tony Siew says every bit of help counts as they ride out this storm. PHOTO: CITY GAS

Second-generation hawker Anthony Low, who runs Xin Sheng Ngoh Hiong Prawn Cracker at Boon Lay Place Food Village, expressed gratitude for the rebate as well.

"It is a simple way to put an extra S$400 in our pockets during this difficult period," said Mr Low, 53.

The rebates are on top of other initiatives to support hawkers by landlords, the community and the Government. These include rental waivers announced earlier in May by the National Environment Agency as part of a $9 million relief package.