Social Enterprise Hawker Centres see 96% stall occupancy and over 80% customer and hawker satisfaction rate
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SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) says the privately owned social enterprise centres will not only strengthen the businesses of hawkers but also benefit the community. According to a survey by the NEA from 2021 and 2024, the customer and vendor satisfaction rate with these centres exceeds 80%, and over 70% of the hawker businesses have operated in the same centres for more than three years, resulting in a 96% stall occupancy rate.
There are currently 16 new-generation hawker centres used by businesses, and these Socially-Conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres, or SEHCs, are all managed by private operators. The government halted the construction of hawker centres in 1986 but resumed it in 2011.
What is Singapore’s hawker culture?
The hawker culture in Singapore is an integral part of Singaporeans’ everyday lives. People come together at hawker centres to eat and enjoy their favourite local foods made by hawkers.
These spaces help bring people closer, support affordable living costs, and share common experiences and values.
Facing criticism
Despite the optimistic feedback from the survey, the centres have been under scrutiny. A food critic criticised the Environmental Protection Agency for insufficient oversight of these centres and accused the operators of implementing unreasonable conditions on vendors, compromising the local hawker business culture.
However, the NEA says that the new-generation hawkers aim to leverage the rich experience of a new catering experience, introducing new practices into hawker centre management, such as carefully selecting food combinations and curating high-quality dining spaces while still providing people with affordable meals.
To make this work, social enterprise hawker centre operators pay monthly rent, which is decided by a professional valuer chosen by the NEA. The NEA also pays them a monthly management fee that can’t be more than the rent they pay. For the costs, NEA lets these operators run up to four stalls. However, they must use at least half of any extra money they make to support the hawker centre or other vendors—promoting the centre, holding markets, or even offering free shuttle buses. Operators are also required to submit audited financial reports every year.
Furthermore, operators will have to make sure that food is available at all meal times and maintain a clean environment and high standards. The NEA has regulatory clauses to protect the rights of the vendors. The operators are not allowed to force sellers to work beyond their operating hours. Stall leases should be on reasonable terms and need to be approved by the NEA as well.