\n<\/p>\n
An owner of 10 massage establishments across the country, all with Category 1 licences, said the new Category 3 tier would hurt legitimate businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThose legitimate foot reflexology shops, for example, sometimes their staff will hop across various outlets to beef up manpower when needed,\u201d said the industry veteran, who only wanted to be known as Mr Ang.<\/span><\/p>\n If the new licence tier works the same as the current regime\u2019s requirements, each masseuse will only be allowed to work in one venue, said Mr Ang, who has been in the sector for 15 years.<\/span><\/p>\n The person will also have to go for an official massage course to get certified, which costs around S$1,000 each, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Businesses may also incur renovation costs as there are other criteria to be fulfilled for the premises, such as fire safety requirements, he added.<\/span><\/p>\n Some MPs are calling for more to be done to ultimately adjust the tenant mix in affected estates, beyond the massage establishments.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, I think it’s the tenant mix in an entire area that has residents feeling some level of discomfort,\u201d said Mr Hoe.<\/span><\/p>\n As of January this year, about 8,500 HDB shops were privately owned, accounting for more than half of the roughly 15,600 HDB shops in Singapore.<\/span><\/p>\n The rest are directly rented out by HDB, with a majority being retail, food and beverage and services that support residents\u2019 daily needs, such as coffee shops, laundromats, and household goods.<\/span><\/p>\n About 13 per cent of the HDB rental shops are beauty and wellness establishments, which include massage establishments, hair salons, beauty salons, and traditional Chinese medicine facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n But owners of privately owned shops do not have to inform HDB when renting them out.<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Hoe questioned whether free market allocation brings the most desirable outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEvicting them doesn’t solve the problem because someone else comes in with the same nature of services. For the people living there, it affects their perception of safety, quality of life and livability,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n He hopes that the Ministry of National Development can play the role of town planner in older estates like his, just as it does in newer Build-to-Order estates.<\/span><\/p>\n Another point he hoped would be considered for new operators\u2019 applications is whether there is an overconcentration of any particular type of service in the area, and if there are other basic needs or services lacking for residents.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nCHANGING THE TENANT MIX<\/h2>\n