PUB bill showing 115% tax on water services goes viral

A netizen’s utilities bill has gone viral after he highlighted that he has been taxed 115 per cent on water services his household consumed last month. The post quickly garnered over 500 shares so far.

The netizen, Facebook user Dennis Khew, noted that he was charged $11.66 for water charges but was also taxed $13.36 on top of that amount. The $13.36 is made up of a Waterborne Fee, Water Conservation Tax and a 7 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST):

Khew also pointed out that the amount he is taxed is only set to go up, considering the impending GST hike.

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced that GST will increase by 2 per cent, as he delivered Budget 2018 in February this year. This tax hike will raise the GST from 7 per cent to 9 per cent and will be implemented sometime between 2021 and 2025, in a progressive way.

It is of interest that the GST hike will only be implemented from 2021, as it means that the tax hike will most likely only go into effect after the next General Election which must be held by 15 Jan 2021.

https://theindependent.sg.sg/the-curious-timing-of-the-impending-gst-hike/