Singapore, 4 March 2025 – The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) will invest up to $1 billion over the next 20 to 30 years to upgrade existing hawker centres under the Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme 2.0 (HUP 2.0) and build another five new hawker centres.

Ongoing Efforts to Upgrade Hawker Centres

2            The Government first built hawker centres in the 1960s to resettle street hawkers. Over the decades, the Government has invested in infrastructural upgrades to ensure that our hawker centres continue to be community dining rooms where Singaporeans can easily access and enjoy affordable food in a clean and hygienic environment.

3            Repairs and Redecoration (R&R) works are regularly carried out by NEA and the Town Councils at each hawker centre every six to eight years, to upkeep and maintain the existing infrastructure. These works typically include repainting, basic repairs and replacement of fixtures and fittings in the centres.  In 2021, learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme (HTP) was piloted at Cheng San Market & Cooked Food Centre and Geylang Serai Market. The HTP aimed to address infrastructural issues beyond the typical R&R works and increase hygiene levels, such as through better seating configuration and fans to enhance ventilation, and toilet refurbishments for greater ease of cleaning and maintenance. We will incorporate lessons learnt from HTP in the Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme 2.0 (HUP2.0) [1].

Future Proofing Our Hawker Centres through HUP 2.0

4            Our hawker centres will require future proofing to cope with a warmer climate and an aging population. In particular, older hawker centres in mature estates need to be revitalised to meet the evolving needs of local communities, in tandem with rapid urban redevelopment in Singapore.

5          To ensure our hawker centres continue to serve current and future generations of Singaporeans, the Government will allocate up to $1 billion over the next 20 to 30 years to upgrade hawker centres and build another five new hawker centres. HUP 2.0 [2] will upgrade hawker centre infrastructure to be more vibrant, accessible, and climate-resilient community spaces. Hawkers can also look forward to a more conducive work environment.

Vibrant Community Spaces

6            To make hawker centres a more pleasant space for multi-generational families and the community, NEA will optimise the use of space within hawker centres, such as through better stall configuration and centre layout. NEA will work closely with planning agencies such as HDB and URA to better plan and utilise common spaces so that they can serve the needs of the community more effectively. These spaces could be used for community activities and events which can help draw people to the hawker centres.  

Accessible Hawker Centres for All

7            NEA will also explore more elderly- and mobile-friendly features in hawker centres so that our hawker centres are more inclusive and accessible for all. These could include escalators, lifts, wider aisles, and greater digitalisation and adoption of technology. The features would take into account the demographic needs of the surrounding estate and feasibility of the site. With such features, NEA aims to make hawker centres more accessible to those who require mobility devices or young families with children in prams.

Climate-resilient Infrastructure

8            To adapt to rising temperatures and improve thermal comfort for patrons and stallholders, NEA will explore solutions to improve air circulation and reduce ambient temperatures, such as using high-volume-low-speed (HVLS) fans and greenery. With these efforts, patrons and stallholders can look forward to a more comfortable dining and working experience at hawker centres.

9            While such future-proofing efforts can be implemented in most hawker centres through upgrading or refurbishment works, some older hawker centres in mature estates may need to be rebuilt. MSE and NEA are working closely with the relevant planning agencies to identify such hawker centres to dovetail their redevelopment works with estate development plans and ensure that they continue to serve the needs of surrounding residents and hawkers.

10          To minimise disruptions to the hawkers and the community, the Government will engage hawkers and surrounding residents on the upgrading plans and timelines, and also provide appropriate support to hawkers affected by these plans.

Five additional new hawker centres; Opening of New Hawker Centres at Bukit Batok West and Punggol Coast

11          Since 2011, the Government has built and opened 14 new hawker centres in newer housing estates to ensure that our growing population has access to modern hawker centres with affordable food options. Examples include One Punggol Hawker Centre, Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, Jurong West Hawker Centre and Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre.

12        In 2025, two new hawker centres will open at Bukit Batok West and Punggol Coast [3]. Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre (469 Bukit Batok West Ave 9) will have 22 cooked food stalls and over 400 seats, while Punggol Coast Hawker Centre (84 Punggol Way) will have 40 cooked food stalls and over 680 seats.

13          Complementing HUP 2.0, the Government will build another five new hawker centres to serve residents better. More details will be shared when ready.

$600 rental support for SG60

14        Hawker stallholders are a critical part of Singapore’s treasured hawker culture, which has shaped our national identity and heritage over the years. To recognise the contributions of our hawker stallholders, and in celebration of SG60 and the fifth anniversary of the inscription of Singapore’s Hawker Culture on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a one-off rental support of $600 per stall will be given to cooked food and market stallholders across hawker centres and markets managed by Government and Government-appointed operators, including those managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators. Existing registered stallholders with an active tenancy as of 18 February 2025 will receive the $600 per stall. The $600 rental support will be disbursed progressively from April 2025.