Tracking the prices of “Economical” Bee Hoon (fried noodles), one netizen pointed out the price jump, adding that he would starve to death soon if prices kept increasing.
In a post to popular Facebook group Voice Your Grievances, a netizen who goes by the name of Bob Sim writes: “Economical beehoon no longer econ”.
He shared a photo of a plate of bee hoon and noted the following price increases:
Netizens agreed with him and shared prices of the food at the coffeeshops they patronise:
Ever since Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said on Feb 18 in his maiden Budget speech that the goods and services tax (GST) rate will rise from 7 to 9 per cent, netizens have been pointing out price increases in coffeeshops and food centres, more than ever before.
The GST hike will be in two stages – one percentage point on Jan 1, 2023, and another on Jan 1, 2024. The $6 billion Assurance Package announced in 2020 to cushion the impact of the GST hike will also receive a $640 million boost, bringing the total to $6.6 billion. Despite this, worried hawkers and stallholders have already started to raise prices even before the GST hike.
In one photo shared with the Complaint Singapore group on Facebook, a coffee shop announced that there would be a flat 10-cent price increase for all the drinks it serves and that the price hike was effective Feb 3. This is nearly a year before the first part of the GST hike is due to take effect.
Netizen Andrew Yap who shared that photo wrote: “Just saw this notice at a coffee shop. Not sure the increase will apply to hawker centres also. Can someone enlighten me. Thanks”.
Leader of the Opposition and Workers’ Party (WP) Pritam Singh wrote in a Facebook post on March 3 about how prices have already begun to increase despite the GST hike being scheduled for next year.
In his post, he shared a photo of a food stall announcement that read: “Dear Customers due to inflation, from 4 Feb 22, we will increase all items by $0.50”. The announcement read that a takeaway container would also cost 30 cents more. Mr Singh observed:
Rising prices are “already happening. And the low-income, middle-income and retiree households will be hit the hardest. Inflation and rising prices will eventually ease, but no one should hold their breath that prices will fall when inflation eases.” /TISG