Neighbourhood merchants to get boost from SPH's Chinese Media Group and business associations

Hawkers and neighbourhood enterprises will get a helping hand to boost their businesses. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

SINGAPORE - Hawkers and neighbourhood enterprises will get a helping hand to boost their businesses thanks to a collaboration between the Singapore Press Holdings' Chinese Media Group (CMG) and two business associations.

The Federation of Merchants' Associations Singapore (FMAS), its subsidiary Heartland Enterprise Centre Singapore (HECS) and the Chinese Media Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote heartland businesses and help them digitalise.

Announced on Wednesday (Sept 2) and starting the same day, the collaboration among the three parties will see them run projects until the end of the year.

To drive footfall to the heartlands, CMG will promote heartland tours curated by HECS on its media platforms, including Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao and Shin Min Daily News, as well as on Zaobao.sg and the Chinese radio stations, UFM100.3 and 96.3 Hao FM.

The three organisations will also organise heartland enterprise seminars and workshops to promote awareness about and adoption of digitalisation among Housing Board shop owners and hawkers.

"These seminars will provide information on best practices and available assistance schemes to help heartland businesses remain competitive," said the statement.

Meanwhile, CMG will also organise seminars and awards that highlight success stories of enterprises and hawkers who have digitalised their businesses.

The awards include Hawkers Awards, Precinct Enterprise Star Awards and Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Awards.

FMAS president Yeo Hiang Meng said he hoped that the collaboration will allow the association to reach out to businesses owners and "look at various issues that affect their survivability, such as business succession and transformation of (their) business model".

"We also hope this will allow CMG's vast readership to have a better understanding of our rich multifaceted community and food culture," he added.

HECS chairman Kwek Theng Swee added that he hoped the collaboration will allow Singaporeans to "rediscover the unique culture, interesting attractions and great food in each neighbourhood, and let these rediscoveries enrich our lives".

Noting that neighbourhood merchants are "an integral part of Singaporeans' daily lives and are critical contributors to the economy", CMG head Lee Huay Leng said: "We look forward to leveraging our network to assist the heartland enterprises and hawkers to keep their businesses and neighbourhoods vibrant and thriving."

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