Debated in Parliament on 3 Jul 2023.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the wet market at Blk 151A Bishan Street 11, where there are many vacant stalls, what assistance will HDB provide to the master tenant to bring in more stall operators in order to provide marketing options for residents and keep prices more affordable.
Since 1998, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has rented out the wet market at Blk 151A to a private wet market operator. It currently has an occupancy of 90%, with three out of 30 stalls vacant. Two of these three stalls were vacated recently in May 2023. To better serve residents, HDB requires the operator to maintain at least 90% occupancy during the current tenancy term. To keep costs low for market operators, HDB generally keeps rent steady upon tenancy renewal.
HDB has been actively engaging the private wet market operator, which has provided feedback on its challenges in filling up the three vacant stalls due to competition from nearby shops. The operator is making efforts to attract stallholders and HDB will continue to work with the operator to explore solutions. In the meantime, residents continue to have access to a good variety of market produce at competitive prices, served by close to 40 stalls in total from both the wet market and the market produce shops located directly opposite at Blk 152A Bishan Street 11.
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