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8 town councils to increase service & conservancy charges Eight town councils will increase their service and conservancy charges from April 1. The town councils are Ang Mo Kio, Jurong, Marine Parade, Moulmein-Kallang, Nee Soon, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Potong Pasir and Sembawang. File photo: Blocks of HDB flats in a neighbourhood. By Dylan Loh POSTED: 27 Feb 2014 17:15 SINGAPORE: Eight town councils will increase their service and conservancy charges (S&CC) for flats, shops/offices and market/cooked food stalls, with effect from 1 April. They are Ang Mo Kio, Jurong, Marine Parade, Moulmein-Kallang, Nee Soon, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Potong Pasir and Sembawang town councils. Sembawang Town Council, which announced the increase in a statement, cited rising costs and inflation as reasons for the revision. It said: "In order to keep S&CC charges as affordable as possible for residents, the town councils have been making a conscious effort to control costs to avoid increasing the S&CC rates, despite rising inflation every year. "The town councils have succeeded in resisting S&CC increases for the last 10 years, even when the inflation rate hit a high of 6.6 per cent in 2008. "However, with current cost increases, it is becoming increasingly difficult to continue operations at current S&CC rates, with several town councils running into operating deficits." The statement cited electricity as one of the biggest contributors to cost increases for the town councils. Maintenance costs have also gone up, due to most towns having successfully undergone the Lift Upgrading Programme. The S&CC increase will be phased over two years. The first-tier increase on 1 April this year ranges from S$0.50 per month for those living in HDB's one-room flats to S$8.50 per month for executive flat home owners. Commercial property owners and tenants will see an increase ranging from S$0.10 to S$0.21 per psm/month while the increase for most cooked food stalls is between S$9.90 and S$15.83 per month. The second-tier adjustment will be effected on 1 April 2015. The S&CC increase will range from S$0.50 for HDB's one-room to S$6.50 per month for executive flat home owners, depending on the type of flat. Commercial property owners and tenants will see an increase ranging from S$0.07 to S$0.11 per psm/month while the increase for most cooked food stalls is between S$9.50 and S$12.00 per month. According to the statement, the last S&CC revision by the majority of these town councils was 10 years ago, in 2004. The last time there was an S&CC revision was in September 2012, when seven town councils -- Bishan-Toa Payoh, Chua Chu Kang, East Coast, Holland-Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar, Tampines and West Coast -- raised their charges. - CNA/xq (source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/8-town-councils-to/1014402.html )

anyone paying your town council conservancy fees via credit card (recurring) ?? i can't seem to find ECTC on any credit card's list .... anyone in ECTC ??

At least 2 town councils to up S&C charges by Leong Wee Keat 05:55 AM Mar 09, 2010 http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC1003...o-up-SC-charges SINGAPORE - With electricity prices and maintenance costs going up, at least two town councils, Aljunied and Jurong, will raise their Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) next month. The hike will impact flats, shops, offices and market and hawker stalls. For Singaporean households in Housing Board flats, the hike per month will range between 50 cents for a one-room flat and $4.50 for a five-room flat. While the other 12 People's Action Party (PAP) and two Opposition town councils have not indicated on their websites that they will raise S&CC, could the announcements by Aljunied and Jurong herald an inevitable trend as costs rise and economic conditions pick up? The 14 PAP town councils had raised S&CC across the board in 2004 - seven years after the last revision. Coming up to the six-year mark now, town councils like Jurong have seen power tariffs shoot up by 38.4 per cent since October 2004. This impacts the town council "greatly", Jurong Town Council said, as utility bills account for 30 per cent of overall operating cost. "Electricity consumption is also forecast to increase with the installation of more lifts, linkways and amenities within the town," it added. On the frequently-asked-questions section of its website, the town council dismissed any suggestion that the S&CC hike was linked to any investments in failed Lehman-linked structured products. In the first place, it did not invest in any of the troubled financial products; and its "investments have been generating returns of 2.57 per cent per annum over the last five years", Jurong Town Council said. Meanwhile, with the growing number of lifts, and lifts making more stops in a block, maintenance costs have also rocketed. In Aljunied, for example, the monthly servicing costs have doubled from $300 to $624 where a lift makes nine more stops. And where there were just 884 lifts to maintain in 2005, there will be 1,109 by this month's end, and a projected 1,270 by 2014. Also expected to rise: The cost of keeping estates clean. "The demands on the cleaning and refuse removal contractors have changed, and so too their service costs," Aljunied Town Council general manager Jeffrey Chua said. "Because they have to meet specific performance targets, they have to pay higher wages for better trained workers." The cleaning contract rate of about $5.98 per equivalent dwelling unit each month has gone up to about $6.25. For households facing problems with S&CC payments, both town councils assured them financial help was available and urged them to approach their Members of Parliament. Residents MediaCorp spoke to want more clarity. "Neighbours complain the estate is still dirty. With the increase, I hope for more transparency on the targets achieved," Aljunied resident Reynold Seah said. Jurong resident JF Yeo said: "Any fee increase so soon after a recession cannot be good news. The town council should at least show us that our money will be put to good use." Meanwhile, Jalan Besar Town Council chairperson Denise Phua and Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council chairman Zainudin Nordin both said they had no plans for now to increase conservancy charges. Ms Phua noted that estates varied in terms of age and programmes, which could account for differences in upkeep costs.

Despite freeze, HDB residents still unhappy over S&C charges They feel rates are too high compared with charges for condo residents By Mavis Toh THE 14 town councils under the People's Action Party are all freezing their service and conservancy (S&C) rates, but some HDB residents still feel the charges are too high. Mr Richard Lim, 42, lives in a five-room flat in Pasir Ris, but pays more for parking and maintenance charges than some condominium residents. The accountant pays $163.50 a month: $90 for parking and $73.50 in S&C fees. A check with 10 condominiums found what residents in private estates pay can go as low as $150. Mr Lim said: 'My friend who lives in a similar-size unit in a Bishan condo pays $200 and he gets so many more facilities.' Writing to The Straits Times Forum recently, he asked why, despite fewer perks, HDB residents pay more than some condo residents: 'Are they overcharging residents or are they not giving enough value for the amount we pay?' His letter ignited discussions in at least three online forums, with many asking why S&C charges in HDB flats were only a little lower than those in private estates. In Parliament last month, Dr Teo Ho Pin, coordinating chairman of the PAP town councils, announced there will be no hike in their S&C charges this year. The move is in response to Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam's call recently for them to follow the Government's lead in freezing fees for its services. S&C rates for Singaporeans living in public housing can range from $18.50 for a one-room HDB flat to $61.50 for a five-room unit to $102 for an HUDC unit. Non-Singaporeans pay up to $30 more. S&C charges in HDB estates are collected by the town councils and go towards cleaning, grass cutting, lift maintenance and upkeep of common areas. Costs for cyclical work such as re-painting are also taken from this kitty. A public housing resident who owns a car has to pay between $65 and $90 for a parking spot. This, according to HDB residents, is what causes the overall charge to rocket. Parking charges are collected by the HDB which maintains the carparks. In a Forum letter replying to Mr Lim, the HDB explained that, unlike private property, HDB parking spaces are not included in the selling price of the flat. http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/...ory_217385.html

Uniquely Singapore, F1 or F9: