SINGAPORE: In a recent speech in Parliament, Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang) underlined how important the food and beverage industry is to Singapore and called for the business environment to be made easier for them to survive.
Saying that it’s not enough to tell eateries to "work smarter,” he argued that there is more room for flexibility on manpower, lowering rental costs, protecting tenants, supporting local food businesses, and better efforts for raising productivity.
On Oct 21, Assoc Prof Lim posted a video of his Oct 6 speech, where he said, “F&B also reveals both sides of Singapore’s SME challenge. Existing operators struggle with business costs, yet would-be entrepreneurs struggle to enter the formal market altogether, since the scaling up from home-based efforts to commercial operation is often insurmountable without deep pockets.”
In the caption to his post, he wrote about how Singaporeans are known for their passion for good food, noting how the city-state’s hawker culture has been made part of Singapore’s intangible heritage.
“Food is a core part of our identity, and it’s undeniable that we love and cherish what we eat… for most of us, local food is nothing short of magic,” the MP added.
This is why he believes threats to the industry should be taken seriously, such as increased rent, manpower, and ingredient costs.
In the comments to his post, many netizens voiced their agreement.
“We need to protect and nurture it to grow, as it is something that brings a lot of convenience and pride to a lot of us!” one noted.
“It’s true that our local food identity is worth protecting. Beyond government intervention on rents and foreign manpower, we also need to address changing consumer habits and digital platform fees, which heavily eat into margins today. A holistic solution should encourage landlords to prioritise unique local concepts while helping our homegrown food stalls digitise and manage overheads without passing excessive costs onto everyday consumers,” another wrote.
“Jamus, you nailed it! If there isn't much focus to assist F&B biz hawking Singapore fares, it will go extinct someday. More support from the SG government is needed to help local businesses thrive,” added a third. /TISG
Read also: Jamus Lim: Singapore must now foster an environment where SMEs are better positioned to succeed