The Ministry of Finance said in a statement that about 1.2 million Singaporean households will be receiving a one-off $100 Household Utilities Credit (HUC) by September 2022.

This is part of the $1.5 billion package that was earlier announced by Deputy Minister and Minster of Finance Lawrence Wong on 21 June, to fight inflation.

Ministry of Finance’s statement

About 1.2 Million Singaporean Households to Benefit from $120 Million Household Utilities Credit by Sep 2022

1. 1.2 million Singaporean households living in both public and private residential properties, will each receive a one-off $100 Household Utilities Credit (HUC) by September 2022. The HUC is part of the $1.5 billion package earlier announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong on 21 June 2022 to help Singaporeans cope with higher inflation. 

2. The HUC is given on top of the permanent GST Voucher (GSTV) – U-Save scheme, which benefits about 950,000 HDB households. HDB households will receive double their regular U-Save in Financial Year (FY) 2022 through the regular GSTV scheme and Household Support Package announced at Budget 2022. 

3. In all, households living in 4-room HDB flats will receive a total of about five months’ worth of rebates on their utility bills for the whole FY2022, while those in 3-room HDB flats will receive about seven months’ worth of rebates.   

4. See Annex A for frequently asked questions on the HUC, and Annex B for details on the GSTV – U-Save rebates for FY2022. 

5. For enquiries on the HUC or GSTV – U-Save, the public may contact SP Group (6671-7117 / [email protected]). 

Issued by:
Ministry of Finance
Singapore
26 August 2022

23-year-old Chinese national Wang Yaofeng, a student from the Nanyang Technological University, allegedly stood on a toilet bowl inside a restroom and peeped at another man who was inside the next cubicle.

He was charged in court on 23 August with offences that include insulting another person’s modesty and offered bail of $10,000.

The offence was purportedly committed on 1 April 2021.

NTU said in a statement that the student has been suspended for 2 semesters and that his candidature will be further reviewed after the court’s sentence. in line with the university’s procedures.

A spokesperson for NTU said that they have zero tolerance for misconduct and students who commit such acts will be subject to disciplinary actions, which include suspension or expulsion from the school, depending on the severity and nature of the offence.

Wang’s case has been adjourned to 19 September, and upon conviction, he faces a jail term of up to a year and a fine.

The Singapore Police Force said in a news release earlier today that three men between the ages of 38 and 44 have been arrested for evading a roadblock and driving dangerously.

The incident reportedly happened on 22 August at about 3.25am.

Roadblock operations were conducted along Nicoll Highway heading towards Mountbatten Road at the time, when three vehicles then made a three-point turn before the roadblock and drove against the flow of traffic.

A police chase then ensued and the vehicles were pursued by officers, and one of the vehicles was then intercepted along Syed Alwi Road.

The driver, a 44-year-old man, was arrested for evading the roadblock and driving dangerously.

Police officers from the Central Police Division, along with the traffic police, later established the identities of the other two drivers through the use of police cameras, CCTVs and ground enquiries.

A 38-year-old man was arrested on Monday, while the other 44-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday.

All three vehicles were seized by the police, with investigations against the three men underway.

According to a serology study by the Ministry of Health, about 7 in 10 people in Singapore have been infected with Covid-19.

Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung, spoke at the Multi Ministry Taskforce press conference on 24 August, saying that this means that the next big wave (which could be possibly caused by a new variant of concern) will likely comprise of many reinfections.

Singapore is currently monitoring the infection numbers closely, to derive an indication of when the next wave could arrive.

Ong added that so far, our data shows that after infection, the probability of being infected again after 8 months is still low.

He pointed to the US, UK and Europe; who are preparing for a wave of infections during the winter at the end of the year; when speaking about Singapore’s next uptick in infections.

He said that Singapore’s BA.5 wave has just subsided, which will give us good protection for a possible year-end wave.

However, Ong explained, Singapore should still prepare for the wave as it could be a new VOC, with a “significant immunity escape”.

He also added that our preparations lie on three fronts, namely Safe Management Measures, healthcare capacity and vaccinations.

Ong also said that as part of Singapore’s preparations, Covid-19 Treatment Facilities have eased the load on hospitals, with lower-risk patients being treated at the CTF, while hospital resources are saved for those who are seriously ill.

He also touched on a new category of facilities, called the Transitional Care Facilities, which he describes as being a “dual-use facility”, that would be used in the event of a surge in cases as a CTF.

The Police have arrested a 19-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of loanshark harassment.

On 11 August 2022, the Police received a report of a case of loanshark harassment , where graffiti were scribbled on the wall outside a unit. Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from Police cameras, officers from Woodlands and Jurong Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 24 August 2022. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to be involved in several cases of loanshark harassment island-wide.

The man will be charged in court on 25 August 2022 under the Moneylenders Act 2008. For first-time offenders, the offence of loanshark harassment carries a fine between $5,000 and $50,000, with mandatory imprisonment of up to five years and mandatory caning of up to six strokes.

The Police have zero tolerance against loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance or disrupt public safety, peace and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.

Members of the public are advised to stay away from loansharks and not to work with or assist the loansharks in any way. The public can call the Police at ‘999’ or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664 if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking activities.

A chain collision took place on 24 August at about 2.10pm, involving 4 cars along the PIE, heading towards Tuas.

According to the photos taken by witnesses at the scene, a Comfort taxi appeared to have crashed into a yellow car in front, before a BMW hit the taxi from the back.

A Honda was also seen among the crashed vehicles, with the rear of the hatchback being crushed.

A 43-year-old contractor, Mr Zhang, spoke to Shin Min Daily News and said that two of his workers were involved in the accident.

They were on the way home in the taxi at the time, and they suddenly felt the taxi being violently shaken, before realising that they had been in an accident.

The two workers suffered minor injuries and were not sent to the hospital.

The Singapore Police Force confirmed the accident, which involved three cars as well as a taxi; with 8 people being sent to the hospital, including 2 children.

Among the hospitalised were a 54-year-old taxi driver, a 55-year-old driver and two passengers aged 27 and 32, and a 37-year-old driver with two children, aged 6 and 9.

6 of the injured were sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, while the two injured kids were conveyed to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

The accident is currently under police investigation.