<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=591 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=newstitle width=328>Singapore News</TD><TD class=newstitle vAlign=bottom align=right width=263 colSpan=3><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=259 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=right width=143>
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=596 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3 height=26> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=5> </TD><TD vAlign=top width=591 colSpan=2>No linking of hygiene ratings to food stall licence
By Hasnita Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 22 April 2009 1818 hrs
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Hawker centre (file picture)</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD class=update> </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD><TABLE style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #cccccc" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=240 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=topic vAlign=top> Video </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc>
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</TD><TD class=bodytext vAlign=top align=left width="60%">No linking of hygiene ratings to food stall licence</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left background=images/dotline_240.gif>
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SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) has no plans to link the grading system of food stalls to the renewal of their licence.
It will continue to use the system to gauge the cleanliness and hygiene at hawker centres.
Hygiene at food stalls has been in the spotlight following the recent mass food poisoning case at the Geylang Serai Temporary Market.
The Health Ministry has also suggested that the renewal of food stall tenders at hospitals be linked to their hygiene ratings.
However, Environment Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said that while he welcomed the suggestion, such a measure will not be implemented at hawker centres.
He said: "Mr Khaw has made some very helpful comments about hospital canteens, that's his prerogative and we welcome such a move. If more food establishments want a higher benchmark, then it's their prerogative.
"If we just penalise them just because they are (graded) Cs and Ds, there may be other implications. I think some hawkers have already mentioned... that this may affect their livelihood.
"So, rather than make it a legal requirement, we will work with them. On the part of NEA, we will continue to work with the hawkers and hawkers' association to improve their hygiene standard."
Dr Yaacob said the grading system is a sound and robust one. And because of the system, more food stalls are now graded A or B, compared to 1997 when the scheme was started. Currently, only seven out of 5,000 hawker stalls are graded D.
The environment minister added that consumers also play an important part.
"If the consumers decide that 'I'm not going to patronise a C (graded stall) but I'm going to patronise a B (graded stall)', then the signal sent (to the hawkers) is that 'Hey, at the end of the day, I better improve'," said Dr Yaacob, who is also the Water Resources Minister.
Dr Yaacob said one way of improving hygiene standards is to implement the Hawker's Upgrading Programme. In fact, 99 per cent of all stalls in the programme have received an A or B grade.
"So it shows that as we begin to improve the ambience... better design, better layout, more places for cleaning, they (stallholders) can do a better job in terms of improving their hygiene standard. But whatever we say, lapses can occur whether you are an A or C," he said.
Dr Yaacob said NEA is also finalising enforcement action against the owner of the rojak stall in the Geylang Serai food poisoning case.
The minister was speaking at the launch of an S$8 million 3R Fund, as part of Earth Day. The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) Fund aims to co-pay up to 80 per cent of the costs of new projects that can lead to waste minimisation and recycling of products.
The Regent Singapore, which already has a recycling programme since 2007, plans to apply for the fund.
The hotel's recycling programme has helped to reduce the amount of waste disposed by more than 40 per cent - from 720 tonnes to 400 tonnes per year.
The Fund is open to all companies and Singapore-registered organisations.
The Regent Singapore's director for engineering, Lee Baharuddin, said: "We are looking for a machinery that can compact all the recycled waste, because currently we are using a lot of waste bins, almost 200 waste bins in the hotel. We are trying to reduce that."
The Regent said recycling has helped to reduce its waste disposal costs by 12 per cent every year. This is because it receives a S$7,000 rebate yearly for the wastes collected.
The government is expected to release soon a blueprint that sets its long-term recycling target.
- CNA/ir
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By Hasnita Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 22 April 2009 1818 hrs
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=260 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=right width=20> </TD><TD align=right width=240>
Hawker centre (file picture)</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD class=update> </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD><TABLE style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #cccccc" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=240 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=topic vAlign=top> Video </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc>
</TD><TD class=bodytext vAlign=top align=left width="60%">No linking of hygiene ratings to food stall licence</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left background=images/dotline_240.gif>
SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) has no plans to link the grading system of food stalls to the renewal of their licence.
It will continue to use the system to gauge the cleanliness and hygiene at hawker centres.
Hygiene at food stalls has been in the spotlight following the recent mass food poisoning case at the Geylang Serai Temporary Market.
The Health Ministry has also suggested that the renewal of food stall tenders at hospitals be linked to their hygiene ratings.
However, Environment Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said that while he welcomed the suggestion, such a measure will not be implemented at hawker centres.
He said: "Mr Khaw has made some very helpful comments about hospital canteens, that's his prerogative and we welcome such a move. If more food establishments want a higher benchmark, then it's their prerogative.
"If we just penalise them just because they are (graded) Cs and Ds, there may be other implications. I think some hawkers have already mentioned... that this may affect their livelihood.
"So, rather than make it a legal requirement, we will work with them. On the part of NEA, we will continue to work with the hawkers and hawkers' association to improve their hygiene standard."
Dr Yaacob said the grading system is a sound and robust one. And because of the system, more food stalls are now graded A or B, compared to 1997 when the scheme was started. Currently, only seven out of 5,000 hawker stalls are graded D.
The environment minister added that consumers also play an important part.
"If the consumers decide that 'I'm not going to patronise a C (graded stall) but I'm going to patronise a B (graded stall)', then the signal sent (to the hawkers) is that 'Hey, at the end of the day, I better improve'," said Dr Yaacob, who is also the Water Resources Minister.
Dr Yaacob said one way of improving hygiene standards is to implement the Hawker's Upgrading Programme. In fact, 99 per cent of all stalls in the programme have received an A or B grade.
"So it shows that as we begin to improve the ambience... better design, better layout, more places for cleaning, they (stallholders) can do a better job in terms of improving their hygiene standard. But whatever we say, lapses can occur whether you are an A or C," he said.
Dr Yaacob said NEA is also finalising enforcement action against the owner of the rojak stall in the Geylang Serai food poisoning case.
The minister was speaking at the launch of an S$8 million 3R Fund, as part of Earth Day. The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) Fund aims to co-pay up to 80 per cent of the costs of new projects that can lead to waste minimisation and recycling of products.
The Regent Singapore, which already has a recycling programme since 2007, plans to apply for the fund.
The hotel's recycling programme has helped to reduce the amount of waste disposed by more than 40 per cent - from 720 tonnes to 400 tonnes per year.
The Fund is open to all companies and Singapore-registered organisations.
The Regent Singapore's director for engineering, Lee Baharuddin, said: "We are looking for a machinery that can compact all the recycled waste, because currently we are using a lot of waste bins, almost 200 waste bins in the hotel. We are trying to reduce that."
The Regent said recycling has helped to reduce its waste disposal costs by 12 per cent every year. This is because it receives a S$7,000 rebate yearly for the wastes collected.
The government is expected to release soon a blueprint that sets its long-term recycling target.
- CNA/ir
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