2 PAP Town Councils raise their S&C charges as PAP ministers look forward to another pay hike
March 9th, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
After proclaiming that the Singapore economy is set to start growing again this year, the PAP ministers have been quick to increase their own pay and now it seems that the Town Councils will be raising their S&C charges as well.
Two PAP Town Councils Aljunied and Jurong have announced that they will raise their monthly service and conservancy (S&C) charges from April onwards, citing “higher maintenance and operating costs.”
According to information posted on their websites, charges will go up by between 50 cents and $4.50 for Singapore homeowners, depending on the type of flat.
At least three angry readers have emailed us the flyers they received informing them of the hike in S&C charges:
Attached below are the revised charges for Aljunied:
One reader told us that he suspected that the hike is linked to the investment losses suffered by the Town Council:
“I don’t see the opposition wards increasing their S&C charges, why only us? How much did they lose in Lehman? Should open their accounts and let us residents have a look! Where is the transparency?”
Another added:
“To us a few dollars mean alot. We are not so rich like GIC which can afford to lose billions of dollars in a flash!”
Aljunied Town Council claimed on its website that “it was ‘no longer sustainable’ to maintain charges at the current level without running into an operating deficit. Keeping the current charges would mean deteriorating standards over time, which would only raise costs further.”
On their websites, both town councils said the increases were not tied to losses made in investments linked to the failed Lehman Brothers investment bank.
While the economy has improved this year, its effects are hardly felt by ordinary Singaporeans whose wages remain stagnant as the cost of living continues to rise.
As a certain percentage of their multi-million salary package is pegged to GDP growth, the PAP ministers are quick to raise their own salaries by an estimated 8.8 percent which will cost Singapore taxpayers another $58 million dollars or so.
A quick check reveals that the S&C charges for Potong Pasir are only about 70 to 80 percent that of Aljunied:
The hike in electrical tariffs and cleaning costs affect the whole of Singapore including Potong Pasir. Why then did Potong Pasir not increase its S&C charges. Are PAP MPs less efficient than opposition MPs in managing the Town Councils?
As expected, the state media jumped quickly to the defence of the PAP Town Councils without revealing the truth that the opposition is able to run their estates equally as well with less S&C charges.
It was reported in 2008 that the PAP Town Councils have accumulated millions of dollars in their sinking funds to save for rainy days.
The two PAP Town Councils should reveal their sinking funds before asking Singaporeans to pay more for the S&C charges.
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Oh dear. Raise and Raise like no tomorrow. Terrible horible Town Council. Every thing in the name of $$$$.
“One reader told us that he suspected that the hike is linked to the investment losses suffered by the Town Council”
It also link to the future ministers’ pay hike.
I think my area town council will be increasing charges soon.
The increase in the S&C charges is to kick start “productivity” so that the grass roots leaders can look forward to more goodies and not for likely PAP ministers pay hike!
@“To us a few dollars mean alot. We are not so rich like GIC which can afford to lose billions of dollars in a flash!”
I have say this thousand and one times. You are daft. So keep your bloody mouth shut and just pay up. You want to change. Then use your brain.
Yes, reveal the sinking funds and Investment losses first, before you can start telling people your increase in Maint story.
Any failure to do so…means there is something they are hidding ?
I thought the word the pigs are trying so hard to drummed into us is “PRODUCTIVITY”? So shouldn’t these town councils run by these pigs be more productive by doing more maintenance at the same cost?
to the 66% of you guys out there who voted for these pigs in 2006 you better wake up your idea and stop being daft in the next GE.
Why the increase in S&C charges when the economy is not getting better for the commoners who lived in HDB housing?
Are there still surpluses in the coffers of the Town Council?
Will the town council reveal the balance of their S&C collection?
I will be disheartened if they are collecting more S&C charges to invest in some venture again.
There is really no necessity to collect surplus S&C charges and let the money sit around or invest in some risky ventures.
S&C is for maintaining the general Home environment not for investing.
Town council need to improve on their productivity, instead of raising s&c charges
Let your next vote be your voice!
Ha ha ha!
PAP has such a huge army of foot soldiers; expensive to maintain you know?
The 1800 number stated in a fax number. The aljunied town council number is 67441033.
There were upgrading done in Eunos which falls under Aljunied TC. The upgrading has very much completed round about Chinese New year with a bit of leftover to clean up. Now they can’t wait to increase the service charge. What a louse!
I think its time all singaporeans should raise a FB protest petition to stop all these robberies, you people just can’t go on paying whatever they want.
It’s a matter of time the rest of the PAP ward town councils will start increasing the S&C Charges, just like the petrol companies, one increase the rest will follow
i thot already use ‘cheaper faster better’ foreign worker already, why raise fees? seriously f*cked up to the max.
S&CC is already ex enough yet they want to increase it. actually i dont need them to wash my corridor for me.i can wash it myself. if can, i want to opt out of paying s&cc since i can wash it myself, i only want to pay the litter portion if possible.
Yes they do have lots of FWs,in fact,97%,but it’s also a fact that,they are greedy,very greedy.
There are about 100 household every block of flats.
There are supposedly 100 blocks of flats in the 2 wards.
Therefore, 100 x 100 households in the 2 wards will bring in an extra income of 100 x 100 x $1 a month which is 120000 a year.
I think this is an under-estimation.
Why do you think the town council needs more monies?
Ministries over the last 2 decades took pains to shift to the city center.
Now they are shifting out. Just when there are more office space available because of the incredible amount of construction going on lately.
Do you really think the demand in office space is that strong?
Or it is a pretext to save on rent?
Why do they need to save monies?
What happened was very bad.
Not happy???….pls see your MPs
Maybe this is a TC’s “hoax”?
The papies are inflicting more pain on citizens one knob at a time on the torture machine… it helps the 66% to build strength, character and endurance. The pain threshold for the 66% is very high. They can take a lot of punishment yet still vote for the papies to continue abusing them.
strange to see that our daily costs are increasing without any checks. Its an amazing stint that needs to be curbed.
There’s a reason why 80% of Singaporeans stay in HDB and its not because these 80% are well-to-do.
The Singapore government should not take it out on their citizens who voted them into power. Its unacceptable and having sizeable sinking fund is for the purpose of buffering increasing cost to reach the low-income group and teh town councils should not have the mandate of increasing the sinking fund at the expense of the citizens.
PAP go eat shit !
So easy to be government , no need to used brain .
Just increase price problem gone . If in private sector company
bankrupt already .
Want private sector Pay , but perform like primary school management. Go eat shit and die good for nothing !!
Thought you hire cheap labour to pass on the savings to us, your clients ?
Now what is this hike for ?? please go to another country to hire even cheaper labour to pass on the savings to us….
if not your Manger days are over , you are FIRED! and need to be replaced with faster , cheaper and younger worker.
Talk about productivity – there are 9 elected councillors managing the ‘city’ where I live in Victoria, spanning 542 square kilometres. There are 60 town councillors in Sembawang Town Council.
With increased GST coming soon, the S&C amount paid is going to be even more significant over time. Why did the TC choose to raise charges now and not use the sinking fund first? This really shows that the TC only wants the residents to foot all the bill first. There is no transparency at all. A bunch of good for nothing, why do we need to pay so many TC member’s salary if all they know is to ask you to pay? Why wasn’t any cost saving measures employed to reduce the cost for residents before asking us to pay?
I suggest the opposition make a promise to the residents in the constituency that they are contesting in next election that if they win they will promise that their S&CC will be low than the pap constitencies.
If the opposition can make such a promise I am sure it will increase their chance of winning.
this is damned dangerous man!
PAP sold off our national assets in energy supply to foreign interests. foreign interests try to recoup costs by increasing power charges (by tagging prices to petrol when LPG is actually used).
PAP then increased S&CC citing increase in power charges, screwing 90% of Singaporeans.
PAP never(-ending)land of vicious money making cycles.
vote for PAP for higher charges (with free predatory bonging masters in tow)…
Quote:
“higher maintenance and operating costs.”
This is what we are talking about “standard of living” or “cost of living”
Even the goverment’s agencies are saying the costs are increasing so they in-term direct the cost to us. But on the other-hand, our pay hasn’t increase a bit due to being ” more marketable” to complete with FTs.
oh GREAT PAPs, your just too GREAT
Aljunied was closely contested in the last GE and won by a very narrow margin.
This is the thanks that they show to their PAP supporters.
Vote for PAP, screw yourself. Let them splurge investments. If win, ministers get pay raise. If lose, your S&C charges go up, and ministers still get pay raise.
potong pasir is so much smaller than aljunied grc, and charging lesser for S&C charges?! where’s the economy of scale? seems like the opposition MPs are doing a more efficient job.
GOOD GOOD VOTE MORE FOR PAP AND THIS IS WAT HAPPEN. THE THEIR BRAIN IS ALL MONEY MONEY & MONEY NV ENDING. WHY THEY WAN TO EARN FROM OUR OWN RESIDENT? DUN UNDERSTAND!!!
Hi Admin,
Would it be possible if you can seek an interview with the 2 opposition wards and ask them how they manage their resources. As a comparison maybe you can also do a story on the prevailing rates for these 2 wards. Thanks
MIW’s mentality:
Got savings…NEVER pass to residents but when
got cost increase…ALWAYS “share” with residents..KNS
They should apply the “Cheaper, Better and Faster” to the town council first. Lolz
Singaporeans wiil need to retire at 80 soon because if they stop working they won’t be able to pay the bills.
Well, let pap shoot themselves in the foot..
This year 2010,
We are seeing poly fees increased by $50..
we are seeing property taxes increased..
We are seeing hospital bills increased..
we are seeing electricity tariffs increased..
We are NOT seeing our salaries increased..
Soon, (probably after GE),
GST going to be revised upwards..
Carparking fees going to be increased..
pap ministers getting 8.8% pay increase..
DO WE STILL WANT TO BE SCREWED FOR NEXT 5 YEARS???
TR,
There should be a reported interview with OPPOSITION WARD Town Council on how they managed to keep costs checked and yet delivered the results to their residents. These reports will put PAP wards to shame and also the minister/MP to do something about it then passing costs around!
I have been to hougang before and their estate are very well maintained. Hats off to WP TC. I have been living in Jurong for the past 20 years and i can tell you there is a big difference if u compared to hougang. JRTC got the cheek to ask for more TC charges when they dont even cleaned up the Hong Kah Ville market( JW ST42) and with some decency of cleanness. All TR have to do is to take pictures of HKV market and post here for all to see. Smelly and dirty and has been like that for as long as i can remember. What has changed with 38% increased in S&C over the years? Pay more only.
Congratulations to all who voted for PAP!
Singaporeans got fcuked again and again and again and again . . . . . till God knows when all these going to stop!
Definitely a show of improved PRODUCTIVITY, with the latest increment of the S&C charges weeks after proclaiming that we are out of the recession and a salary hike for the gahmen and their servants.
I can’t imagine what will happen if this is the true election year. the paps going to suck more from us???
“The problem is, the longer you defer it, the larger the increase will be…”
Copycat from the following:
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_457879.html
Residents of Aljunied and Jurong TCs, “is it better to take your medicine sooner or stretch it out? Take medicine once or two times? I prefer to take my medicine early”
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/254488/1/.html
This is just begin. There will be more after they win next GE. Sillyporean please VOTE WISLY. DONT BE DRAF!
Very vicious TC to keep increasing without PRODUCTIVITY. Man! Why everything done by PAP must be $$$ and more $$$. It is still one fxxking lift in one fxxxing lift shaft from bottom to top. It is still the same fxxking area to wash without any new areas added to the block of flats. It is still one fxxxing washing point where water is tapped from. It is still one or two FT washing the entire precint of flats including car park. Wat is the justification of the increase by taking home $4.92 on average per household? That is going to raise millions for sure. And if more million $$$ collected is use to employ more FT then it is sure not PRODUCTIVITY. If million $$$ is spent on ROBOTS who can wash and collect rubbish without any human labor, then it can be said that the investments will pay for the ROBOTS in years to raise PROSUCKTIVITY. And please please! Don’t keep saying fuel increase so tariffs must increase. It is natural gas and so must use gas tariffs to charge users.
Hey !!!!!!!
Not Fair !!!! We want Sembawang Town Council to raise our SCCC charges or we will feel small.
Pl raise the GST to 15%
Pl increase the ERP charges
Pl installed island wide ERP especially at Sembawang because residents living under Sembawang likely to give others the impression ” Poor And Penniless, in short PAP.”
How about Aljunied GRC voters bring in the opposition to manage the town council this time round, and see the difference? After all, they almost got Aljunied the last election time round
The opposition is much more efficient and productive than MIW!
to the 47 people who commented here,
pls change the mind of ur friends,ur family to vote this pigs out, this is the only way
The following extract from the SBTC AR 2008/2009 is telling:
“As of March 2009, 47% of our funds were invested in Singapore Government/Statutory Board bonds or corporate bonds.”
By investing in “Singapore Government/Statutory Board bonds or corporate bonds” the S&CC in PAP managed TCs are a source of funds channelled into GIC, Temasek Holdings, MND Holdings, and GLCs to finance their ‘long term’ investments.
And just like the mentality of the PAP govt and the ‘civil’ service, the SBTC is keen on increasing its surplus year after year:
“…Sembawang Town Council achieved a healthy operating surplus of $3.19 million for FY2008/2009. The total accumulated surplus and sinking funds stands at $268.5 million as at 31 Mar 2009.”
With so much funds on hand is there a need to increase the S&CC? The TC just happily reports increases in the size of the funds year after year. Using illogical argument like “…the longer you defer it, the larger the increase will be…”. The PAP is basically treating Singaporeans as cash cows.
Sigh…
When there’s oversight in planning for lifts at every floor in view of aging population – they claim they did it to SAVE you cost of housinng
Now when lifts stop at every floor – they claim co$t increase, so LL must increase S&CC
…poor lesser mortals – kena screwed, again, again & again
What will happen if half of the estate refused to pay the S&C?
The last election more than 50% of the voters voted for PAP in Aljunied GRC. This is how PAP repays them by raising S&C charges. Aljunied voters deserved it.
One point to note though, PAP wards are maintained by a unknown number of foreigners. While the foreign levy had increased recently, the Town Councils had to increase their S&C charges despite having surplus. While the opposition wards uses Singaporean only workers to maintain their wards, did they increase their fees?
What will happen if half of the estate refused to pay the S&C?
See u in court lor!
Hospital will sent debt collector to your house if u owe them
money! so don’t prey prey ok!!
if you fail to pay the s&c, they will issue you court summon. you have to attend court hearing monthly until you pay up. if you miss attending courtm a warrant of arrest will be issued against you. there are people who ended up in jail due to s&c
Three of Temasek’s power generation companies have been sold to foreign companies.
1. Tuas Power Power sold to China Huaneng Group.
2. Seraya Power, was sold to YTL Corporation in Malaysia.
3. Senoko Power sold to Japanese Marubeni-led Lion Power consortium.
Isn’t it time for a review of our national utilities policies, which allow the power sector to make huge profits, and to sell companies to foreign companies, without the need for parliamentary debate or approval?
When I read it, I felt disgusted and cheated, not at a time like this. Who said things are picking up, its more like struggling to pick up. What else going to go up, the PUB just raised their fees too. Singporean we have to chance to change things, have courage to vote out the PAP, don’t fall for the goodies that they will promise and give just before the elections.
Parliamentary debate is a moot point in Singapore. The PAP MPs can argue against any policy they want to, but at the end of the day, when it comes to the floor vote, they are bound by the party to vote for whatever the party senior management wants. In effect, turning Parliament into a mere rubber stamp.
Singapore isn’t a true democracy until this is removed, either by crushing the PAP super-majority in Parliament (so that the incumbent government now needs to actually convince opposition MPs to support their policies), or by removing the party whip system.
There’s no democracy in the world at all….the word is made up for “Globalisation” purpose.
I only see Bangagesh cleaner sweeping the corridor, washing and scrubing the floor till real “white” when there’s MP visit only.
Actually, the raise is justified because the ministers recently increased their salary.
So the conservancy charges need to be increased so as to feed their insatiable greed!
The PAP ward TCs should have economies of scale that the opposition ward TCs don’t have. Along with their experience and superior management should their charges be lower?
Before the TC even open their mouth to talk of increasing the S&SC charges,Mr.Teo Ho Pin, the Mayor,whose TC lost $millions in the mini-bonds,has to come out clean to tell the citizens as to how is he going to recoup the losses which his bootlickers have gambled away.
Why is there a need to increase the charges when there are surpluses in the kitty to be gambled away without any accountability??? If there are any shortfalls,they are the ones who should fork out the money to cover them, and not take the easy way out to keep increasing the monthly charges!!
If there are no accountabilities and transparencies and no one comes forward to admit any wrong doings,who is going to guarantee that this type ’scandal’ will not happen again???
Come on, all the Town Councillers please get your priorities
right and your houses in order!!
what is the primary job of TownCouncil? to suck more $$$ for investments?
With millions left on the balance sheet, why is there a need to raise the fees? They should be decreasing the fees.
Bl@@dy suckers.
While old gecko…
1. Pay themselves Out-of-This-World HIGH…
2. Ensure you & I get paid lower for “globalisation” in THE LOCAL Context…
3. Then lowers our salaries extends to our children, our retrenchment in middle-age never to be employable again at a salary even at HALF your last drawn and PMET positions…
4. While he and son further enrich their Cronies with More and More “Sleeping” DIRECTORSHIPS…
5. Then give you & I “Pacifying Handouts” of WELFARE that Old GECKO ALWAYS said IS BAD as people citizens of the “LESSER-MORTALS” kind WILL ABUSE… And he does mean the MAJORITY of US “LESSER-MORTALS” you now!!!…
6. Keeps reminding you & I that without him and his pappies we will all be doomed… like Our Women will become maids in other countries should we start to replace his pappy govt!!!…
7. Says that we are all daft as WE ALL DON’T EVEN KNOW there’s no better ‘honest’ leaDEERs and leaDEARs than those who are paid HYPErbolic-HIGH By his Logic!!!…
8. And so… understand them too that his son and parliament are ‘trying’ their level best to OSO increase their productivity in parliamentary debates by being “AYE PAP Soothsayers” to every bill to lead by example…
9. So that you & I wil come to know in time to come what they HAVE ALWAYS meant by “Productivity” and “Improving or Increasing Productivity” that they HAVE NEVER DEFINED!!!
10. And the Pappy Muppet & Puppet Show GOES ON at every GRCs A PLENTY, Tail-COAAAAATs hang-on GE to SHOW US for him to CLAIM yet again and aGIan THAT “He was ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.. THE Singaporeans”!!!
11. THIS PAPPY SHOW MUST go on for all our good… FOR NONE CAN BE BETTER then gecko and company!!! Come 2060 for pappy & pappies!!!… BUT how important is this as how many of us will live to see that day of pappy & pappies alive or dead and gone too!!!… Frank-Kiss!!!
This is just the beginning… soon the other TC will follow. How can we stand up to this?
Our salary has not be adjusted upwards or has been cut since last year.
How can we subject ourselves to all these?
It is like us middle-incomed Singaporeans are nothing but cannon fodder.
I live in Aljunied GRC. If you’ve been there, you will
see every corner of each estate there are hugh specially
display boards where they display different banners of the
6 MPs wishing us on every holiday occasion.(Much like olden
days cinema painted banner advertisements)
These don’t come cheap as all are spotlighted.
They could have cut cost by doing away all these banner boards
which serve no purpose but the political interests of
these PAP clowns
‘No longer sustainable’ to maintain the charges? Aljunied Town Council must be kidding me. Occasionally, random litters such as drink cans or water bottles are thrown by people who walk pass my corridor. Those litters can stay there for a few weeks in my HDB block which is located in Aljunied GRC. Your so-called maintenance only occurs on the ground floor. But the other floors are only swept and clean after every few weeks. Are you guys increasing the pay for cleaners who sleeps, or are you guys increasing your pay for sleeping around.
That’s why East Coast Town Council opposite Bedok library got splashed with blue paint this morning Wed 10/2/2010 – ah long style ?? Cleaners desperately cleaning up the mess there!
Link – http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?t=28198
moral of the story? vote for opposition to save on such charges! serious ok.. 1 mth u save X amt, x 12mths X 5years.. big savings!
i also stay in aljunied. if i didnt remember wrongly, it has been at least 4 or 5 years since the last increase in S&C charges.
to be fair, the increase of $4 (for my case) is considered fair since everything have gone up as compared to 5 years ago.
i don think it’s due to investment losses that triggered this increase.
last year when we received 4 times of 50% discount for our S&C charges. we never complain…
i am okie with the hike as long it’s within reasonable means and i think $4 hike is fair.