An owner of 10 massage establishments across the country, all with Category 1 licences, said the new Category 3 tier would hurt legitimate businesses.
“Those legitimate foot reflexology shops, for example, sometimes their staff will hop across various outlets to beef up manpower when needed,” said the industry veteran, who only wanted to be known as Mr Ang.
If the new licence tier works the same as the current regime’s requirements, each masseuse will only be allowed to work in one venue, said Mr Ang, who has been in the sector for 15 years.
The person will also have to go for an official massage course to get certified, which costs around S$1,000 each, he said.
Businesses may also incur renovation costs as there are other criteria to be fulfilled for the premises, such as fire safety requirements, he added.
