Monthly household refuse-collection fees up 16.7% from Jan 1, 2022 in first rise since 2017: NEA

SINGAPORE — Household refuse-collection fees will rise from Jan 1 next year to keep up with rising operational costs, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Tuesday (Nov 30). It is the first increase since 2017.

Refuse-collection fees for households will be revised from S$8.25 to S$9.63 a month, including Goods and Services Tax (GST), for Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats and private apartments that have not opted out of the public waste collection scheme.

For landed homes, fees will rise from S$27.47 to S$32.07 a month, including GST, NEA said in a media release.

The fee hike will amount to S$1.38 a month for households living in public flats and S$4.60 a month for households living in private landed housing. In both cases, that amounts to an increase of 16.7 per cent.

Each household pays its NEA-appointed public waste collectors a monthly refuse collection fee through its monthly utility bill.

The current three public waste collectors serving six sectors across the country are appointed via open competitive tenders.

Refuse collection fees for households are reviewed once every two years and have remained unchanged since 2017.

Average public waste collectors’ charges have increased in tandem with rising operational and manpower costs over the past few years, NEA said.

Household refuse-collection fee can be offset by the GST Voucher – U-Save rebates that help eligible HDB households with their utility expenses.

Households facing financial difficulties may also approach their nearest Social Service Office for assistance.

The revised fees ensure that Singapore’s overall waste management system can operate sustainably, NEA added.