\n<\/p>\n
Mr Tan said that due to budget concerns, the maximum cash bonus had to be halved to S$50.<\/span><\/p>\n Last month, the association paid out S$240 for more than 10 rats caught. This was less than half of the 20 rats caught in July, which netted stallholders a total of about S$500.<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Patrick Sze, former chairman of Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre, said that the association decided to start its cash reward initiative\u00a0after holding meetings \u201cfor many years\u201d with various agencies without solving the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n “We hope that this programme (will not) stop. You see, once we stop, these rats \u2013 they give birth, I think minimum one time they give (birth to) 10 babies,\u201d said Mr Sze.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJust imagine if we stop this programme, I think they will come back very fast.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The market will also undergo major renovations early next year, which includes plans to upgrade designs to keep rats at bay.<\/span><\/p>\n Hawkers told CNA the cash initiative has helped keep the rodent population under control.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe project is very good \u2026 it helped a lot, and the town council and pest control also helped a lot,\u201d said\u00a0drinks stall owner Ng Peng Khoon, who has caught more than five rats since the initiative began.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is our duty to catch the rats, to keep the hawker (centre) clean,\u201d added wet market vendor Chua Wee Seng.<\/span><\/p>\n