Garbage collection fees to go up in 2017

Garbage collection fees for homes will be raised next year by the National Environment Agency (NEA), due to higher operating costs.

The current fees are $7.49 for apartments - including Housing Board flats and condominiums that have not opted out of the public waste collection scheme - and $24.81 for landed homes.

Due to higher operating costs, such as for manpower, the monthly fees will be raised to $8.25 for apartments and $27.47 for landed homes from Jan 1, said NEA yesterday.

NEA said such fees are reviewed regularly and the next review is scheduled for January 2019.

Insulting OBS girls' modesty: Guard jailed

A security guard with the Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) was jailed for five weeks yesterday for entering the female toilet to insult the modesty of three girls and intruding into their privacy.

S. Ganesh Kumaar, 39, who faced two charges of criminal trespass and four of insulting the modesty of a woman, admitted to one charge of criminal trespass and two charges of intruding into the privacy of one of the 14-year-old girls. The 14-year-old victim and her two classmates were at OBS in Pulau Ubin for a camp.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sia Jiazheng said Kumaar committed the offence while carrying out his duty as a security guard. He was tasked with protecting the OBS compound.