It is now difficult to find a proper meal to fill the stomach for $5 even at hawker c

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IT IS NOW DIFFICULT TO FIND A PROPER MEAL TO FILL THE STOMACH FOR $5 EVEN AT HAWKER CENTRES

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2 Jan 2015 - 2:45pm








More and more Singaporeans cannot eat enough nowadays and trying to get a meal for $5 has become increasingly difficult.

The Chinese media recently reported on how Singaporeans are becoming concerned that even with $5, they have difficulties looking for a proper meal.
In fact, even if they are able to, a meal that costs $5 would still not be enough to fill the stomach.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore said that consumer prices fell 0.3 percent in November but food prices are still escalating.

In November, food prices actually rose by 2.9 percent, which is even higher than the increase of 2.8 percent in the month before.

Moreover, a meal for $5 can now only be found at hawker centres. Such prices can no longer be found at food courts which cost a lot more.

“Prices now have increased. A meal costs at least $5 to eat out. Even then it is only barely enough to fill the stomach," Khoo Kah Yang, 57, said.

But now and then, he would go to a food court with his colleagues because the hawker centre can get too hot, with increasing climate change.

But air-conditioned has become a luxury not easily afforded. Many have decided to skip having meals at the food courts simply because it has become too expensive.
“Now a plate of chicken rice costs $5.50 in the food court and plus drink the total will cost at least $7 to $8. But the environment at the food court is more comfortable, not so hot and cleaner,” Neo Choon Hong, a 58-year-old supervisor, said.

Even well-known food critic Moses Lim has chimed in on the issue. He pointed out that it is still possible to buy a meal for $5 but this might not be enough to fill the stomach.

Another food critic, Alan, said that there are still places that still sell chicken rice for $2. And the queues are usually very long, which shows how Singaporeans are still very price-conscious.






A quick calculation shows that $5 would still be able to buy a plate of meal for between $2 to $4 and a drink.

But at a food court, where food prices range from $3.50 to $5.50 or even more and a can of soft drink can cost $1.60 or so, it is simply not possible to get a full meal at $5 at many food courts anymore.

Moreover, with the meal portions getting smaller and smaller due to the high costs of operations, even at a hawker centre, a person might need to spend more than $5 just to eat a bit more to fill the stomach.

Indeed, costs have become such an issue that even Mr Seetoh of Makansutra said, "So here’s the difficult conundrum: yes, hawkers can be ordered to give the public a cheap meal, but what cannot be regulated the price of producing food – the rising prices of gas, manpower and most importantly the cost of raw food.

He quoted NTUC Foodfare Chief Executive Perry Ong as saying, “We will help tenants with raw food materials to keep cost low."

"But the most obvious question was not asked: will they keep the rentals and maintenance fees low so that hawkers can pass this cost savings to the public?" he asked.
With the rising cost of living in Singapore and stagnant wages which grow much slower than prices, if wages ever grow at all, it has become a struggle for many low-income and middle-income Singaporeans to make ends meet.

A study by National University of Singapore economist Tilak Abeysinghe has shown that 30 percent of Singaporeans do not earn enough and have to spend 105 to 151 percent of their incomes. Also, for the middle-income, a Straits Times survey also showed that two-thirds of them barely earn enough to spend on necessities but not on anything else.

As we start the new year, there might be a new hope but where the reality of high prices and low wages continue to make things look bleak, how can things change for the better when the government refuses to acknowledge the issue?


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