“Hawkers will be allowed to hire long-term visit pass holders as assistants from 1 Jan,” announced in Parliament on Monday (14 Oct) by Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment. This move aims to address the manpower issues faced by hawkers, allowing them to hire long-term visit pass (LTVP) holders as stall assistants starting January 1, 2025.
According to Dr Koh, long-term visit pass (LTVP) or LTVP+ holders will need a Letter of Consent (LOC) or pre-approved LOC to work as hawker stall assistants. The relaxation of manpower policies is intended to ease the challenges faced by stallholders. Dr Koh highlighted the significance of this change by stating, “This change will allow more flexibility in hiring stall assistants, providing additional support to our hawkers.”
Currently, only Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs) are permitted to work as stallholders or assistants in hawker centres and markets managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA-appointed operators. However, an exception is made for the spouses of stallholders who are LTVP holders, as they are also allowed to work as stall assistants. Dr Koh emphasized that this flexibility is granted as these LTVP holders have “familial ties” to the hawkers.
“With the relaxation of this rule, LTVP holders who are parents or children of hawkers, or even unrelated, may also work as stall assistants,” Dr Koh mentioned. LTVP holders can apply for this status if they are a spouse or parent of a Singapore citizen or PR, an unmarried child aged below 21 born within the context of a legal marriage to a citizen or PR, a graduate of an Institute of Higher Learning seeking employment in Singapore, a parent or grandparent of a child studying in Singapore on a Student’s Pass, or a visitor seeking permission to give birth in Singapore.
Further support measures for hawkers are also being explored, with Dr Koh mentioning that authorities are committed to safeguarding the hawker heritage. These additional measures will be shared once they are ready.
The issue of manpower shortages was previously raised in Parliament on 7 Aug by Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Edward Chia, who inquired about the possibility of hawkers employing LTVP+ holders as assistants. Back then, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu had responded that only citizens and PRs were allowed to work to preserve the local identity of the hawker culture.
