The Hot Seat: Is it fair to treat social initiatives as a mandatory responsibility for hawkers?

Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong · Aug 29, 2025 · 19m

Hawkers at several Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres are questioning why they continue to shoulder the costs of budget meals and app-driven discounts, despite recent changes easing other obligations. At Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, management recently scrapped a controversial clause requiring stallholders to provide free meals for the needy at their own expense, a move that was initially met with relief.Yet many hawkers remain frustrated that they must still absorb costs tied to budget meals priced under $3.50 and 10 per cent discounts given through operator apps. While operators…