News

Town councils should explore alternatives before deciding to increase service and conservancy charges (S&CC) ( , April 30). The maintenance of multistorey and ground-level carparks is costly. HDB should impose a levy on residents, per car, when they apply for or renew their season parking. The levy can help town councils defray some of their costs.  Newer HDB estates should receive lower grants with the difference allocated to top up the grant for older estates.  The printing of yearly desk calendars and monthly town council news should be stopped to save costs and the environment. I have seen discarded calendars and bulletins and it’s a waste of S&CC money. Town councils maintain a sinking fund for long-term cyclical works such as lift upgrading, repainting, and replacement of roofing, and the funds may be invested. For transparency, town councils should publish their investment profits and losses annually and explain to residents how they intend to use the profits. Such profits could be used to spend on short-term maintenance needs, so that S&CC charges need not increase.   Also, S&CC rebates should not be pegged only to the size of the flat. For example, retirees living in a five-room flat could be cash poor, and should receive the same rebate as those who live in one- and two-room flats.