Help is on hand for hawkers and stallholders who are affected by the fire at Ang Mo Kio market and hawker centre on Tuesday night.For a start, an interim market will be set up by Monday morning, so that those selling market produce can continue doing business.
At 4pm on Wednesday, the hawkers and stallholders had a meeting with the representatives from the relevant agencies such as the town council, Community Development Council (CDC), Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC) as well as MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, Wee Siew Khim, who stood in for MP Seng Han Tong who was away.
Related Video Link (Straits Times Video News) - http://tinyurl.com/246g4hAMK market: Help for stallholders but...
Help is on the way for stallholders of the Ang Mo Kio market and food centre that was completely gutted by fire on Tuesday night.
But as Jermyn Chow reports, the over 200 stallholders are still not happy with the slew of packages planned to help them get through their losses.
At the end of the meeting, stallholders were given the following few options.
- Give up their business and opt for a cash grant of $16,000 (for market stallholders) or $23,000 (for cooked food stallholders), or
- continue at an interim market which will be set up for one and a half month. They may then move to a temporary market that will be set up for between 18 months and 2 years or they can opt for an alternative stall in other markets and hawker centres.
But for those opting for the temporary market, they will have to pay at least a few thousand dollars to help build it.
Wee Siew Khim, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC said: "As we have practised in all the other market fires in the past, all stallholders will pull together and share the cost of building that market which they are going to use for the next 18-24 months.
"We took note of their concerns and those who have any constraints or financial problems, we will probably structure it for them to pay by instalments. Or they could come to us and we'll treat each case on a customised basis."
Because of that, many stallholders are thinking twice about taking the offer to operate their business at the temporary market.
"I'll try to take it but if the rent is very expensive, like $8,000 to $10,000, then I think I can't afford it. If I don't take, I don't know what I can do," said Peh Thiam Hock, a stallholder.
Some have decided to take a break till the market is rebuilt in about two years' time, while others have decided to throw in the towel.
"Some of them, up to 40% of them, are first-generation stallholders, so they have the option of taking an ex-gratia payment and not operate anymore," said MP Wee.
The stallholders have till Friday to make their decision.
The fire on Tuesday night was one of the worst market fires in recent years.
More than 100 people were at the food centre having their meals when the fire broke out at about 9.30pm on Tuesday. They made a quick dash for safety when they saw the fire spreading quickly.
The SCDF said investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. - CNA /ls
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