The Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar 2020 will still be held from April 18 to May 24 this year.

According to Berita Harian, People’s Association (PA) has opened a new tender for this year’s Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar under Wisma Geylang Serai (WGS).

Under the new tender, preventative measures will have to be taken by stall vendors to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Before this, a tender was opened by PA but was closed on Jan. 17 without any bidders.

Preventive measures for stalls, vendors and workers

According to the tender document on government tender portal Gebiz, this new tender requires the vendors to prepare cleaning services daily and to check the temperatures of the vendor and their workers everyday, among other things.

The stalls will also need to be grouped in clusters of four.

Each stall is required to be 10 metres apart, compared to previous years where the distance was six to eight metres.

Because of this, the number of stalls at this year’s bazaar under WGS will go down from 800 to 500.

Potential bidders are weighing options

On March 11, a conference was held to explain the details of the new tender.

“As the risk of Covid-19 has increased as announced by The World Health Organisation (WHO), PA and WGS will add preventative measures such as social distancing and cleaning programmes,” the document from PA said.

“These steps will be implemented as a requirement for this year’s Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar, with emphasis on the additional measures and to play a role in curbing Covid-19,” it added.

Osman Ariffin, the consultant of Orange Travel, last year's bazaar operator, said that his company was still considering whether to bid on the new tender.

They made a previous bid for the earlier tender.

He said: "There are a lot of factors to consider. With the new tender, we will only have between five to 18 days to open the bazaar around WGS, compared to one-and-a-half months previously."

"Are we able to prepare a bazaar of equal or even better quality than last year’s? With such a short timeline, are we able to attract vendors?"

"The implemented preventative measures is another added cost for us, especially when the number of stalls have gone down. We have to consider those costs as well."

"One more thing, if the Covid-19 situation worsens and the DORSCON level rises, will the bazaar have to close? If that happens, who will bear the losses?”"

The Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SMCCI), who also put a bid for the earlier tender, is weighing their options.

“SMCCI is in the process of analysing the specifics of the tender,” said a spokesperson.

The new tender opened on March 6 and is scheduled to close at 4pm on March 16.

Successful bidders will be announced later by the end of the month.

Two million people visited WGS Bazaar in 2019

In 2019, two million people visited WGS’ bazaar.

It was well-received as it was more spacious and had more affordable rent.

Like last year, the rent for this year’s bazaar has been limited to S$14,000.

The WGS-coordinated bazaar is located at the field behind WGS, the Tanjong Katong Complex and Haig Road area and the areas around Joo Chiat Complex and Geylang Serai market.

Top image via epicphynism and iammrsselvan

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