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SINGAPORE – Retiring street vendors will receive financial support as they train new street vendors to take over their stalls, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Saturday (December 26), in an update on the succession scheme for street vendors.
The scheme, which was first announced by NEA last month, pairs retired street vendors with those entering the profession.
This makes it possible for older street vendors to show their recipes to applicants, as their own family members may not be interested in continuing the trade.
Currently, only street vendors who have their rent subsidized can give up their stalls to non-relatives. Under the scheme, unsubsidized street vendors will also be able to do so under relaxed rules.
NEA said the scheme will be piloted over the next two years with only “a handful of veteran and aspiring street vendors” as close facilitation is required.
Retired street vendors will be paid a “nominal stipend” for guiding those aspiring to the profession, NEA said, adding that more details will be released at a later date.
Under the scheme, NEA will assess the culinary skills of aspiring street vendors before matching them with retired street vendors.
The former will be mentored by a retired street vendor for a few months to learn how to run a street vendor business.
If they can pass a food tasting test assessed by the NEA, their street vendor mentors, as well as an independent panel, aspiring street vendors can proceed to take over the physical street vendor stand and brand.
“Aspiring street vendors who pass the food tasting test will be subject to certain conditions related to stall branding and signature dishes for a period of time to ensure that the veteran peddler’s legacy is sufficiently protected,” said NEA .
The agency added that the scheme is not intended to replace trade deals, for example, street vendors who want to sell their prescriptions and brands.
Anthony Low, vice president of the Singapore Federation of Merchants Associations, said older street vendors might be skeptical that young street vendors can acquire culinary skills that they have spent decades honing themselves in just a few months.
“For this to work, the younger street vendor must be passionate and willing to spend more time learning the trade, and retired street vendors must be willing to share their experience,” he said in Mandarin.
Hawker Goh Peng Huat, 59, and his wife, Ms. Chia Gek Kee, 53, said they would be willing to join the street vendor succession scheme.
Said Ms Chia: “Our older daughters, 28 and 30, have their own careers and are not so keen to take over our street vendor stall. It would be a shame if our recipes and cooking techniques were lost when we we retire “.
His fish ball noodle stand at Marine Parade, Nam Kee Teochew 70’s Heritage Katong, has been around since 1976 and was passed on to Ms. Chia by his father in 1983.
The street vendor succession scheme was introduced shortly before Singapore’s street vendor culture was officially added to Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 17.
Singapore will have to submit a report to UNESCO every six years, showing the efforts made to safeguard and pass on the street vendor culture to future generations.
To celebrate the successful registration, NEA launched SG HawkerFest, an online game series and webinar, for the public to learn more about street vendor culture.
It will run from December 26 to January 11.
Dinner vouchers in $ 2 denominations, redeemable at 29 hawker centers, can be earned by solving questionnaires online.
Members of the public will also be able to attend a webinar on January 8 on the stories behind the popular street vendor stands and how younger street vendors are doing their part to safeguard the trade.
More details can be found on this website.
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