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Now you say "I do" also expensive liao. For those planning to tie the knot the later half of the year, the Registry of Marriages (ROM) has just announced that they will be increasing the fees starting from 1 July 2017. According to reports, the price hike will affect foreigners the most with the fees increased to a flat fee of $380 for all dates. Previously it costs $128 on weekdays, $198 on weekends and $298 on popular days. For Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PR), the fees will be upped from $26 to $42 for the registration. A ROM spokesman states the price review was made to keep up with rising operational costs and ensuring quality service for the registrants. Sources: http://www.greatdeals.com.sg/2017/06/28/rom-marriage-registration-fees-increase-1-july-2017

Taken from another website....i really have doubt but wait..how much collected from entrance yearly have not been reported. This will roughly be the gauge on whether there is an increase or not....imo No increase in gambling addiction after casinos opened 28 Mar 2018 09:00 The setting up of the two casinos here in 2010 did not lead to more Singaporeans getting hooked on gambling, as many had feared before they opened at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. The pathological and problem gambling rate among Singaporeans and permanent residents was 0.9 per cent in the 2017 survey by the National Council on Problem Gambling. It inched up from 0.7 per cent in the 2014 survey, but the change is not statistically significant, the council's spokesman said. The survey is done every three years to find out the extent and pattern of gambling here. The latest study was released yesterday. In fact, gambling addiction rates have been falling since the first survey in 2005 - way before the casinos opened, checks by The Straits Times have found. In the 2005 study, the addiction rate was 4.1 per cent, and this fell to 2.9 per cent in the 2008 survey and to 2.6 per cent in the 2011 study. Pathological gambling is more serious than problem gambling.

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 )

This will push for more employers to stagger office hours. I remember there were calls to de-centralize CBD some time ago, as a result, Jurong lakeside area was slated to be the next CBD area after Tampines area. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/morning-peak-hour-erp/864656.html POSTED: 28 Oct 2013 15:03 URL: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/morning-peak-hour-erp/864656.html The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is increasing Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates at four expressway gantries from 4 November 2013. The affected gantries are on the southbound Central Expressway (CTE) and Pan Island Expressway (PIE) slip road into southbound CTE. SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is increasing Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates at four expressway gantries from 4 November 2013. In a statement on Monday, LTA said it is making the adjustments following its quarterly review of traffic conditions on roads and expressways priced under the ERP system. The affected gantries are on the southbound Central Expressway (CTE) and Pan Island Expressway (PIE) slip road into southbound CTE. The rate will go up from S$5 to S$6 from 8.30am to 9am. LTA said the rates for other gantries remain unchanged. It added that the next ERP review will take place in November 2013 for the December school holiday period. - CNA/xq

This is a good start The bosses interviewed said the surcharge is similar to previous years and has not been significantly increased due to recent inflation.

Travellers flying out of Changi Airport to pay higher fees, charges from Nov 1 https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/travellers-flying-out-of-changi-airport-to-pay-higher-fees-and-charges-from-nov-1 15 Sep 2022 10:00 PM SINGAPORE - Passengers flying out of Changi Airport will have to pay more in airport charges from Nov 1, as international air travel continues to recover from the effects of Covid-19. Passengers on flights originating from Changi Airport currently pay a departure fee of $52.30, comprising a $35.40 passenger service and security fee collected by Changi Airport Group (CAG), as well as a $6.10 aviation levy and a $10.80 airport development levy collected by the Government. With the fee hike announced on Thursday, the total departure fee will go up by $6.90 to $59.20 from Nov 1, and subsequently increase by $3 to $62.20 from April 2023 and by another $3 to $65.20 from April 2024. Passengers whose air tickets are issued before Nov 1 will not pay the higher fees and levies, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and CAG in a joint statement. There will be no change to the departure fee for transit passengers, who will continue to pay $9 in airport charges for each flight. Meanwhile, airlines will also have to pay more in aircraft parking and landing fees, CAAS and CAG added. The statement said the fees and levies charged will fund CAG's operations, the upgrading of terminals and its future development plans. The charges will also go towards the air hub development and regulatory functions of CAAS – such spending is expected to grow as CAAS works to rebuild Singapore’s position as a global air hub post-pandemic, the statement said. Work on the upcoming Changi Airport Terminal 5 has restarted after a two-year pause brought on by Covid-19, with the mega-terminal expected to serve 50 million passengers a year when completed in the mid-2030s – more than T1 and T3 put together. Airport charges at Changi were last revised in 2018. At that time, CAG said its passenger service and security fee would increase by $2.50 a year until 2024, which meant that the fee should have gone up from $35.40 in 2020 to $37.90 last year and $40.40 earlier this year. But the authorities held off the planned increases in 2021 and 2022 in view of the pandemic. From Nov 1, the fee will be raised to the planned $40.40 to cover the higher cost of operations, and increase again thereafter, CAG and CAAS said. The aviation levy collected by CAAS will be raised for the first time since it was introduced in 2009 as well – from $6.10 now to $8 from Nov 1. The levy, which applies only to departing passengers with flights originating from Changi Airport, will remain at $8 in 2023 and 2024. The latest fee hike comes during the same week that Changi Airport Terminal 4 welcomed its first flights on Tuesday, after it was shut in May 2020 due to plummeting air traffic at the start of the pandemic. The reopening of T4, which has a handling capacity of 16 million passengers a year, will add to Changi Airport's capacity, as will the reopening of the southern half of Terminal 2 from Oct 11. This will restore Changi Airport's handling capacity to its pre-pandemic level of 70 million passengers a year. Passenger traffic at the airport is now averaging 58 per cent of 2019 levels. Flight numbers are slightly higher, at 64 per cent. SOURCE: CAAS, CAG Changi Airport is not alone in increasing its fees, after more than two years of international border restrictions ate into the revenues of airports worldwide. Last year, Schiphol airport in Amsterdam announced plans to increase the fees levied on airlines by 37 per cent over the next three years – a move that drew a sharp rebuke from the International Air Transport Association (Iata). The Dutch government plans to more than triple the country’s air passenger tax in January next year to €28.58 (S$40), up from €7.95 currently. Mr Philip Goh, Iata’s regional vice-president for Asia-Pacific, said the timing of the fee increases at Changi Airport is less than ideal, as any additional costs will negatively impact the financials of airlines. He noted that the Asia-Pacific airline industry is still in the early stages of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with international passenger demand in the region only at about 36 per cent of 2019 levels as at July this year. In comparison, other regions have seen demand rebound to more than 70 per cent of 2019 levels. “Aviation hubs like Singapore must ensure they remain cost-efficient in order to maintain their attractiveness to airline operators,” he said. “We hope the next regulatory review of these charges in 2024 will keep in mind a need for moderation and improvements when considering any further increase in aviation charges.” A spokesman for Jetstar Asia said it is disappointing that higher airport taxes are being introduced while airlines are still recovering from the pandemic, and from soaring fuel prices. “We are committed to ensuring our fares remain affordable but as a low-cost carrier, taxes make up a significant part of our fares. We will work to manage these additional costs to minimise the impact to our customers,” she said. SIA Group said it will implement all additional levies accordingly, and it aims to mitigate rising costs by improving productivity and operational efficiency, while exercising strict cost discipline. Mr Mohshin Aziz, director of the Pangolin Aviation Recovery Fund, which invests in aviation businesses, said he was surprised by the timing of the fee hike. “Shouldn’t we wait until the industry fully recovers?” he asked, noting that key markets like China and Japan have yet to fully reopen their borders. Mr Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics, said it is inevitable that airport charges are hiked. He added: “There’s a cost to ensure Changi retains its position as one of the world’s best.” Ms Edlyn Phua, 31, who has plans to travel at the end of the year, said the increase in airport charges is not significant compared with other travel-related expenses, which have also risen in price. “I can accept the increased levy since it has been nearly three years since I’ve travelled. The bigger consideration for me will be the destination and airfares,” the market research consultant added.

A moment of silence for $2 Daiso. According to Singapore Atrium Sale, Daiso Singapore will be adjusting its price from 1st May 2o22 onwards to include GST. This means items will no longer be priced at $2 but at an awkward $2.14. Time to do your shopping at Daiso before the price hike.

1st july https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/parking-ura-hdb-car-park-higher-fines-illegal-11654998 Higher fines for parking offences from July: HDB, URA image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw== (Photo: Nisha Karyn) 24 Jun 2019 11:21AM (Updated: 24 Jun 2019 11:44AM) Share this content Bookmark SINGAPORE: Motorists who do not abide by parking rules will face higher fines from July, said the Housing & Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). In a joint press release on Monday (Jun 24), HDB and URA said the move would ensure that “parking fines remain an effective deterrent”. “The fine revision will only affect errant motorists, and will not impact those who abide by parking rules,” they added. ADVERTISING Fines for parking offences were last reviewed in 1991. ILLEGAL PARKING OFFENCES For parking their vehicles illegally, motorists will soon face higher fines of S$35, S$70 and S$100 respectively for motorcycles, cars and heavy vehicles. Advertisement Currently, the fines are S$25, S$50 and S$80. “From 2016 to 2018, an average of about 260,800 notices were issued each year for illegal parking,” said HDB and URA. Such cases included instances where motorists parked their cars in motorcycle or heavy vehicle parking lots, as well as non-season ticket holders who had parked their vehicles at season parking lots. COUPON, DIGITAL PARKING OFFENCES Fines for coupon and digital parking offences will also be raised, said HDB and URA. Currently, drivers of cars and heavy vehicles who park without a valid parking coupon or do not activate a digital parking session would face a S$30 and S$40 fine respectively. From July, the fines will be increased to S$40 and S$50 respectively. There will be no change in the fine quantum for motorcyclists, who currently face a fine of S$8 for such offences. Those who exceed their paid parking sessions will also face stiffer penalties. The current fines for over-parking range from S$6 to $20 for cars, and S$12 to S$40 for heavy vehicles. This will be increased to a range of S$8 to S$24 for cars, and S$16 to S$48 for heavy vehicles. There will be similarly no change in the fine quantum for motorcyclists, who currently face a fine of S$4 for such offences. HDB and URA said that from 2016 to 2018, an average of about 573,000 notices were issued each year to motorists who either did not pay the parking charges or had paid an insufficient amount at coupon parking car parks. “For car parks where the Electronic Parking System (EPS) has not been implemented, motorists can either use parking coupons, the Parking.sg app or the OneService App to pay their parking charges," said the authorities in the press release. PAYMENT EVASION OFFENCES AT EPS CAR PARKS Those who evade payment of parking charges by tailgating other vehicles or bypassing car park gantries at EPS car parks will also face higher fines. Currently, motorcycles, cars and heavy vehicles face a fine of S$25, S$50 and S$80 respectively for such offences. “To further deter errant motorists, the fines will be increased to S$35, S$70 and S$100 for motorcycles, cars and heavy vehicles respectively.” About 4,400 notices have been issued by HDB and URA annually to motorists for evasion of parking charges. Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/parking-ura-hdb-car-park-higher-fines-illegal-11654998

prev thread 👆🏾 Fares have to rise, operators must be more cost-efficient as taxpayers’ bill for public transport ‘cannot keep ballooning’: Ong Ye Kung Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/fares-have-rise-operators-must-be-more-cost-efficient-taxpayers-bill-public-transport Pay And Pay ...

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/netflix-raises-price-of-spore-subscription-plans-by-1-to-2 SINGAPORE - Streaming giant Netflix has raised its prices in Singapore. The service behind hit series like the recent K-drama Squid Game and British comedy drama Sex Education (2019 to present) has three monthly pricing plans. With the revision, a basic plan will go from $11.98 to $12.98 and a standard plan will go from $15.98 to $17.48. A premium plan will see the largest increment of $2 from $19.98 to $21.98. A premium plan allows titles to be streamed in Ultra HD and up to four screens can be in use at the same time. The new prices came into effect on Oct 7 and will be rolled out to existing subscribers over the coming weeks, and to all new subscribers immediately. Existing subscribers will be notified by e-mail a month before the new prices are applicable to them. Netflix last adjusted prices for Singapore users in January 2020, making this the service's second price increase in less than two years. Local user Shay Hu, 27, a marketing associate at an e-commerce platform, says she will continue using the service. She subscribes to its premium plan for the Ultra HD function. She says: "If I cancel it, what will I watch? I'm not a big fan of Disney properties so I won't get Disney+ and I don't watch too much HBO either. "And at $21.98, I think it's still within an affordable range for me since the service is used by my parents too." Human resources executive Alicia Tai, 27, says Netflix's strong content slate will keep her on. The K-drama fan says: "I'm subscribed to the premium plan and I can still deal with $21.98. The original shows produced by Netflix are quite good and there's a good variety of content on the platform." But if prices continue to go up in the future, she might consider quitting the service for Viu, another regional streaming service with a focus on Asian, especially South Korean, content. She adds: "If it goes up close to $25 a month, then I'll consider cancelling. Because that's around $300 a year, which is quite substantial."

Bus and train fares could possibly see 7 per cent increase next year Bus and train fares may go up by up to 7 per cent next year as the Public Transport Council (PTC) begins its annual fare review exercise. If approved, this would be the highest fare increase in recent years. The fares could go up by 10 cents, the maximum increase that can be allowed under the current fare formula, a measure implemented from 2018 to the year 2022. According to a statement released by the council earlier today (September 3), transport operators must submit applications regarding proposed fare increases. As per a Straits Times report, the PTC said that the largest contributing factor to the potential fare hike was the double-digit increase in energy prices, which rebounded 26.2 per cent in 2017, and 32.3 per cent in 2018. A drop in energy prices between 2015 and 2017 saw a combined 8.3 per cent reduction in fares during that time, though last year saw a 4.3 per cent increase in fares. “Over the last five years, the gap between costs and fares has been widening. This gap has, thus far, been funded by the Government together with the rail operators,” said the PTC. In July, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the Government is currently subsidising more than 30 per cent of public transport operations, and that higher fares are necessary to keep these subsidies in check. The council’s decision on the fare adjustment quantum will be announced in the last quarter of this year. Last week, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced the possibility of extending the intervals between trains during off-peak hours of the day. The longer wait times are part of efforts to better match demand and supply, and also help to reduce unnecessary wear and tear on the system. Cost-efficiency is another key area of focus, Mr Khaw said, adding that new efforts and initiatives by SMRT and SBST have led to total savings of more than S$25 million. /TISG

Hi gurus. Long story short. Early Dec: Offered renewal quote by insurance Mid Dec : Branch hit front windscreen. Windscreen replaced with no excess because I purchase the plan with "no windscreen excess." End Dec: Renewed Insurance. Cover note issued. Road Tax renew. 3 Jan: CSO called and tell me they will invalidate my motor insurance as my premium have now increase due to the windscreen replacement. No mention of increase in premium until 3 Jan. So now I have 2 qns. 1) Can they invalidate my insurance at this point?! I have written in to LTA and GIA to seek further clarification. 2) Wouldn't it make consumers a fool since we are then paying twice for windscreen? I pay more to get a plan with "no windscreen excess". Now that I replace my windscreen I have to pay a higher premium because my wind screen was replace. Then isnt I paying twice? Then why don't we all just buy the cheapest policy since ultimately we are still the suckers???

Hi Guys.. When will the Shell Sonax Car wash be back to normal price?

Just want to pose the above question to all the drivers out there, feedback is appreciated. Before I start, let me give some info on my current car. Driving a SUV now. Stock wheels were 235/65 R17. A few months back, the tyres were getting bald and needs a change. I have long been a fan of huge chrome deepdish rims. Since it needed a tyre change, I reckon I will go for the full package. After asking around, most of my friends or shop owners will say that 'your FC is going to be super jialat, furthermore with such big rims'. I thought, what the heck, it is not everytime I get to have a car to be able to be fitted with big rims. I went ahead and got a R22 rims with 265/35. The overall diameter is still withn 1% of my stock wheels. I must say, I did not regret my decision. Full chrome with a 3" lips. Before changing wheels, FC was approx 7.8 - 8 km / L. After changing rims, I monitored for 2 months and most of the time, it is quite constant. Many who have seen my rims were WOW, your FC must be crazy. I just told them it is ok, still acceptable to me. Question to the bros and sis here, be it either you have experience with rims upsizing or you hearsay from others, what do you think my FC is currently. I did not purposely change my driving style before or after, style and attitude still remained the same.

Of late, my last few checks on my engine oil dipstick showed that my engine oil level has increased. This was first discovered about a month ago. There are 2 tips on the dipstick. I noticed that since last month, the oil level has exceeded the upper tip of the dipstick. First check was in the morning when the engine was cold for more than 8 hours since the car was parked the night before. Did 2 further checks over the course of last few weeks. Level was above the upper tip. The increase was not slightly or too much during those cold or room temperature. There was also no oil leakage found. However, when the car was driven and parked for a few hours, the oil level exceeded the upper tip by a bigger length (of course engine was still slightly hot and this is understandable). Not sure whether this should be cause for concern. I know that if oil level drops, we need to take note or go workshop to top up by the same grade and brand engine oil. But for my case, it increases..... I am using OWS NA engine oil. No grade was stated. First time trying this oil. Been using it for more than 8,500km mileage. My car's mileage is more than 86,000 km. Hope to have some views from knowledgeable bros in this forum. Thanks!

Anyone knows which will consume more FC?

Increase of taxes, as country is more developed. Though a citizen of a higher tax bracket status, I do encourage to the gov to tax more on the rich, while maintaining those who are at the mid or lower tier tax brackets. This is a way to contribute back to the country. Taxes Must increase for social spending

According to Channel NewsAsia, ITE

$42,564(Oct) $41,994 (Nov) After the first round or second round of bidding in Nov, will the pqp be adjusted immediately? Because I may have the intention to buy PQP on the last week on November so will it increase given that there's a high chance COE will increase in the next round?

Weather's a b!tch nowadays so bros better take care go drink more water. From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1208656/1/.html Heat stroke cases increase with rising temperatures By Kheng Leng/Alice Chia | Posted: 19 June 2012 2148 hrs

Good News for All !!! SINGAPORE: There will be more Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) available in the February to April period, with the quota set at 26,391 – an 8.9 per cent increase from the previous quarter, according to figures released by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (Jan 19). A total of 24,234 COEs were available in the November 2016 to January 2017 period. Except for Category C and D, all other vehicle categories will see a rise in the number of COEs. In Category A, which is for cars up to 1,600cc and maximum power output not exceeding 97kW, there will be a monthly quota of 4,104, up from the previous quarter's 3,688. Category B, which is for cars above 1,600cc or maximum power output above 97kW, will have a monthly quota of 2,714 COEs, compared to 2,486 in the previous quarter. As for Category C, which is for goods vehicles and buses, the number of monthly COEs will be 322, slightly lower than the previous quarter's 361. In Category D, which is for motorcycles, the monthly COE quota is 692, down from the previous quarter's 741. Category E - also known as the Open Category - will see a monthly quota of 963 COEs, compared to 799 in the previous quarter. According to LTA, the COE quota consists of three components: The provision for the 0.25 per cent per annum vehicle growth was based on the vehicle population as at Dec 31 last year; the replacement COEs from vehicles de-registered over the preceding three-month period of October to December 2016; and adjustments for changes in the taxi population, replacement of commercial vehicles under the Early Turnover Scheme and expired COEs. The next quota announcement for the bidding period of May to July will be made in April. - CNA/mz

Hi all, just a reminder that Acendas car park season fees will increase from usual $60 - $70 to $139.xx per month. I think all the Acendas car park will be affected. This will start from 1st April 2013 if I am not wrong. Just take note. If got query, can ask ur own company HR. Now I feel like crying and wanna sell my car. Sian 1/2

just read an article in ST. is this a 'signal' that parking rates are going up?

If COE for 1.6L or below cross $30k or even $40k, will our taxi company raise their rental fee? Then in order to maintain the income of taxi folks, taxi fare will be adjusted up? Or, old taxi got deregistered. But new COE too expensive for new taxi. So, the taxi population will decrease? Tourists complain cannot get taxi? Hmmm... Not easy to work in LTA.