The Usual Place Podcast

RTS Link impact: Should the government control rents to save local shops?

Can local retail and F&B businesses, which are already struggling with rent and manpower costs, cope with the added pressure?

Natasha Ann Zachariah

Will the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link sound the death knell for smaller, home-grown businesses when it opens in a few months?

A new study, which was released on July 16, highlighted how Singaporeans are slated to spend $1.05 billion more in 2027. But visitors from the other side aren’t expected to send as much business our way. JB visitors are projected to spend about $756 million dollars more.

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF), the Restaurant Association of Singapore and the Singapore Retailers Association jointly commissioned the study to look at how the RTS Link could reshape consumer spending, tourism flows and business competitiveness in Singapore’s retail and food and beverage sectors.

Can local retail and F&B businesses, which are already struggling with rent and manpower costs, cope with the added pressure?

In this episode, I speak with:

Musa Fazal, the chief policy and operating officer at the SBF, and
Ang Yuit, the president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, who moved to JB 18 months ago.

We discuss whether expanding the eligibility and amount of the existing CDC voucher scheme is just a band-aid, and if the Government step in to control rents.

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Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh and Natasha Liew

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law and Zachary Lim

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

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