Eight PAP Town Councils increase service and conservancy charges despite huge surpluses

Yahoo! News Singapore, 27 Feb 2014
Service and conservancy (S&CC) charges will be going up at eight town councils from 1 April onwards.
Owners of one and two-room flats will see fees go up by $1 and $1.50 per month respectively, but dwellers of three-room flats and larger will see higher increments of between $4.50 and $10.50 per month by 1 April next year.
The increase will be done in two stages, announced the Sembawang Town Council on behalf of the other seven — Ang Mo Kio, Marine Parade, Moulmein-Kallang, Nee Soon, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Potong Pasir and Jurong (which previously already raised its fees in 2010). The first increase will take place on 1 April this year, and the next a year afterward.
Asked why it is increasing S&CC despite its healthy surpluses, the town council said in a prepared response that “such surpluses have been in the decline over the years”, noting that with its rising maintenance and operation costs, they will "not be able to sustain their operations without incurring operating deficits”. Full story