Tag Archives: Wet Market

Time for wet markets to go

Posted on 24 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on Time for wet markets to go

Untidy relics of the past less popular now, and can’t compete on price

IN RECENT weeks, Singaporeans of all ages have been bemoaning what they feared was the impending loss of several wet markets.

To recap: A few weeks ago, news surfaced that eight privately-run wet markets were to be taken over by large supermarket chains.

That sent lots of residents in the affected areas into a frenzy. Many wrote in to this newspaper’s Forum page, calling for the preservation of the markets and for the Housing Board to reject the sales.

The din grew so loud that a minister had to wade in to soothe frazzled nerves: At the opening of a Marsiling wet market two weeks ago, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who is also an MP for Sembawang GRC, assured residents that he understood how important such markets were to them, and that he was working to keep wet markets available to them.

But why this curious need to preserve an untidy relic of Singapore’s past? Why keep these wet, stinking, unhygienic monuments to yesteryear?

It certainly isn’t because many of us shop there. Take the privately-run markets. There are 19 here, and most, if not all, are struggling to survive. Business is so bad, it’s no wonder their owners are thinking of letting them go. Continue reading →

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A wet market that’s not wet

Posted on 22 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on A wet market that’s not wet

THE recent debate over wet markets versus supermarkets has made me realise that in all crises there is opportunity.

It is obvious that the public likes the nostalgia and social purpose of the wet market but not the “wetness” and the heat, which is where supermarkets have the advantage.

Perhaps the Government should pick a few wet markets and renovate them, air-condition the premises and, importantly, retain the stallholders. The agency could then run like a landlord, maybe even to the point of coordinating suppliers so everyone benefits from economies of scale. They would also run the rule on hygiene and any disputes.

Residents will benefit from an upgraded market, stallholders keep their livelihood, the Government can raise rentals. It’s win-win.

Source : Today – 22 Oct 2009

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