By Joanne Chan | Posted: 29
May 2012 2138 hrs
SINGAPORE: Households in Singapore can expect to
gradually pay more to have their trash collected.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said the move is aimed at
uplifting the waste collection industry, which is struggling with
rising operating costs while it grapples with improving service
standards.
Industry players said these challenges have been made harder by
government contracts that have locked in fees for the past seven to
eight years, with no provision for adjustments.
With several contracts up for renewal over the next few years, the
NEA, which manages the public waste collection scheme, is looking
to reshape the industry.
For the purpose of waste management, Singapore is currently divided
into nine sectors, served by four companies. This will be reduced
to six sectors, to help companies achieve economies of scale.
Andrew Tan, CEO of the National Environment Agency, said: "This in
turn will translate into greater affordability and at the same
time, giving opportunities for the waste collectors to invest in
the capital, in the training of their workforce and also the
equipment needed to do a good job in terms of waste
collection."
Chairman of the Waste Management and Recycling Association, Guah
Eng Hock, also pointed out that waste collection companies are
required in their contracts to have a recyclable sorting facility
in each sector. He said that with the larger sectors, companies
will be able to enjoy greater economies of scale.
A standard waste collection fee will also be introduced.
Today, households pay as little as S$4.03 per HDB flat, or as high
as S$22.50 for a landed home.
Prices also differ between estates. For example, HDB flats in the
city area currently pay S$4.03, while those in Pasir-Ris and
Tampines fork out S$6.87. The difference in pricing is due to
separate contracts being called for each sector, subjected to open
bidding.
Moving forward, all households will pay a "uniform fee" - depending
on whether it is an HDB flat or landed property. The fee will be
derived from the weighted average of successful tender bids
submitted by public waste collectors.
The first to come under the new fee structure will be households in
Pasir-Ris, Tampines and Bedok.
From July, HDB properties in those areas will pay S$7, while landed
homes will pay S$23.19.
The NEA said households would have had to pay more, if the new
uniformed fee structure was not applied. The new uniformed fee
structure will be progressively rolled out to the rest of Singapore
by 2015.
In return for higher fees, waste collection companies will have to
meet higher service standards. This includes having quieter and
cleaner vehicles, and responding quicker to public feedback.
Companies will also have to provide better incentive schemes to
encourage households to recycle.
Singapore's only landfill on Semakau island is currently at half
its capacity, and is expected to run out of space by 2040. Thus,
recycling remains a key strategy for managing waste in Singapore
and the government hopes that consumers and businesses will start
at the source - by sorting their recyclables from other
waste.
Singapore's recycling rate currently stands at 59 per cent - a long
way from its long-term target of 70 per cent.
-CNA