NTU students start petition to save canteen stalls amid rental hikes, $20,000 renovation fee南洋理工大学学生发起请愿，要求保留食堂摊位，以应对租金上涨和2万新元的装修费用。
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students have launched a petition urging the university to protect vendors at CresPion Canteen, as a change in management threatens to displace existing stalls.Titled "Save Our CresPion Canteen", students are concerned that rising rental costs and renovation fees imposed by the incoming operator could force vendors to shut down or relocate.As at Tuesday (Nov 3), it...
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students have launched a petition urging the university to protect vendors at CresPion Canteen, as a change in management threatens to displace existing stalls.
Titled "Save Our CresPion Canteen", students are concerned that rising rental costs and renovation fees imposed by the incoming operator could force vendors to shut down or relocate.
As at Tuesday (Nov 3), it has garnered 1,533 signatures on Change.org.
The student group NTU Financial Aid and Friends also shared the petition on Instagram, highlighting concerns over the potential loss of affordable food options on campus.
NTU's Office of Commercial and Auxiliary Services (OCAS) is changing the canteen's operator to Food Paradise, with renovation scheduled to begin on Dec 11.
According to the petition, every existing stall is currently facing the possibility of having to quit , with vendors having to decide whether they can afford to continue operating under the new arrangements.
Vendors face up to two to three times increase in monthly costs
The petition states that existing vendors currently pay around $3,600 in monthly costs to the outgoing operator, Food Haven.
This includes rental, cleaning and management fees, as well as the Gross Turnover (GTO), which refers to a percentage of a stall's monthly sales paid to the landlord on top of its base rent.
According to the petition, which cites figures obtained through interviews with stakeholders who wish to remain anonymous, monthly costs under the new arrangement are expected to exceed $7,100, in addition to a 5 per cent GTO.
Vendors will also have to fork out an additional $20,000 in renovation fees, the petition claimed. It amounts to more than five months of their previous rent.
The students felt that the increased operating costs could eventually translate into higher food prices or force existing vendors to leave.
"These vendors are the heartbeat of CresPion, providing relatively affordable meals to students who reside here and in neighbouring halls," the petition stated.
It added that replacing the existing stalls with new operators could result in more expensive food options, further limiting access to affordable meals on campus.
Students call on NTU to protect existing vendors
The petition outlines four demands for NTU OCAS, including allowing existing vendors to remain without having to bear the additional renovation costs and steep rental increases.
It also calls for the university to keep rental and food costs affordable, arguing that higher operating expenses could eventually be passed on to students and other customers.
"Currently, there are no other alternatives as cheap as what CresPion Canteen offers," the petition stated.
The students pointed out that vendors already experience up to four months of reduced income during school holidays, when student traffic on campus is lower.
They also urged NTU to reconsider what they described as profit-maximising practices, arguing that the university, as a public institution, should prioritise the welfare of its students and workers.
AsiaOne has reached out to NTU for more information.
asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com
南洋理工大学 (NTU) 的学生发起了一项请愿活动，敦促学校保护 CresPion 食堂的摊贩，因为管理层的变动可能会使现有摊位被迫搬迁。
学生们发起了名为“拯救我们的 CresPion 食堂”的活动，他们担心新运营商不断上涨的租金和装修费用可能会迫使商贩关门或搬迁。
截至周二（11 月 3 日），该请愿书在 Change.org 上已获得 1,533 个签名。
学生团体 NTU Financial Aid and Friends 也在 Instagram 上分享了这份请愿书，强调了对校园内可能失去平价食品选择的担忧。
南洋理工大学商业及辅助服务处 (OCAS) 将食堂的经营者更换为 Food Paradise，装修工程计划于 12 月 11 日开始。
请愿书称，目前每个现有摊位都面临着被迫关闭的可能性，摊贩们不得不决定他们是否能够负担得起在新安排下继续经营。
供应商面临每月成本上涨两到三倍的风险。
请愿书中指出，现有供应商目前每月向即将离任的运营商 Food Haven 支付约 3,600 美元的费用。
这包括租金、清洁费和管理费，以及总营业额（GTO），即摊位每月销售额的一定百分比，除基本租金外，还需支付给房东。
请愿书中引用了通过采访不愿透露姓名的利益相关者获得的数据，称新安排下的每月成本预计将超过 7100 美元，此外还有 5% 的 GTO（一般税收优惠）。
请愿书还称，商户们还将额外支付2万美元的装修费用，这相当于他们之前五个多月的租金。
学生们认为，运营成本的增加最终可能会导致食品价格上涨，或者迫使现有商贩离开。
请愿书中写道：“这些摊贩是 CresPion 的命脉，为住在这里和附近宿舍的学生提供价格相对实惠的餐食。”
报告还指出，用新的经营者取代现有摊位可能会导致食品价格上涨，进一步限制校园内获得价格合理的餐食的机会。
学生呼吁南洋理工大学保护现有供应商
请愿书列出了对南洋理工大学学生事务办公室的四项要求，其中包括允许现有供应商继续留任，而无需承担额外的装修费用和大幅上涨的租金。
报告还呼吁大学保持租金和食品价格的合理水平，认为更高的运营成本最终可能会转嫁给学生和其他顾客。
请愿书中写道：“目前还没有其他比 CresPion Canteen 提供的更便宜的选择。”
学生们指出，学校放假期间，由于校园内学生人数减少，商贩们的收入已经减少了长达四个月。
他们还敦促南洋理工大学重新考虑他们所说的利润最大化做法，认为作为一所公立大学，应该优先考虑学生和员工的福祉。
AsiaOne已联系南洋理工大学以获取更多信息。
asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com