• 5,400 hawkers have adopted digital payment solutions as part of the IMDA’s Hawkers Go Digital Programme
• Of the 3,500 hawkers with e-payments in June, 2,000 have logged more than 20 transactions in a month, making them eligible for the S$300 incentive that month
• The programme has achieved 30 per cent of its 18,000 target
• Hawkers had mixed reactions towards the usefulness of e-payments

SINGAPORE — E-payment solutions are now available in at least 5,400 hawker stalls as part of the Hawkers Go Digital programme.

The programme, which was launched in June by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), aims to help 18,000 stallholders adopt digital tools such as e-payments by June next year.

Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran on Wednesday (Aug 12) during a doorstop on the programme said that the adoption rate of 30 per cent in two months was an “encouraging sign”.

“It shows that there is acceptance and adoption on the ground, and we want to continue to build on that,” said Mr Iswaran who was at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Hawker Centre and Market.

Of the 3,500 hawkers that have adopted e-payments in June, six in 10 qualified for the e-payment bonus which means they have logged at least 20 transactions of more than a S$1 each in a month.

This S$300 incentive, up to a cumulative S$1,500, will be paid out by the Government till May 31 next year.

The 0.5 per cent transaction fee per payment will also be waived for hawkers up to the end of 2023 to encourage hawkers to use e-payment methods.

Mr Iswaran said that beyond e-payments, the programme encourages people to be more open-minded towards digitalisation.

“If we're able to adopt digital solutions or something as basic as payments. Then, I think we can build on that to adopt other kinds of digital solutions,” he said.

When asked why some hawkers were unable to reach the incentive bonus, Mr Iswaran said: “When you're doing early adoption, you know, it takes a bit of time for both the stallholders and the customers to get used to the idea.

“I want to reassure the stallholders that the most important thing is making sure your solution is working and benefiting the customers as well. Once you can get that going. I think the volume of transactions will be easily met.

“That's why we should focus on making sure that these digital payment solutions, like other digital solutions, are delivering real, tangible benefits.”

Hawkers who spoke to TODAY had mixed reactions on the usefulness of e-payment solutions.

Mr Koh K.K., 58, who works at Granny’s Pancake at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Hawker Centre, said that having an e-payment option has been useful and he has seen more people use it since he set it up last year.

“Last time, only two to three people will scan the QR code in a week, but now about four to five will use it in a day,” said Mr Koh, adding that it was mainly young people who opted to pay electronically.

Ms Sally Tan, a 61-year-old drink store owner of Quan Chin Cafe in the same hawker centre, said that she receives about 30 transactions in a day and it was good as “many younger people use it”.

However, others said that they did not see any need for the option.

Mr Yu Sen, a 58-year-old hawker assistant at Teochew Seafood White Mee Hoon nearby, said that while they have applied for the e-payment method, he doubts that many customers will use it as nobody has enquired about the payment option so far.

Over at Teck Heng Kway Chap a few stalls down, a hawker who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan said that he needs cash to pay his suppliers and that e-payments affect his cashflow and payments to suppliers.

He pointed out that the transaction fees would also be charged in 2023 and he did not want to pass on the cost to his customers.