Last February, in Prime Minister Chan Chun Sing`s office, the then minister said Singapore needed to ensure that it required adequate water supplies by the 2050s before the water agreement with Malaysia expires in 2061. The second water agreement was signed in 1962 and expires in 2061. It allows Singapore to draw and use 250 million gallons of raw water per day from the Johor River. In return, we have an obligation to provide Johor with treated water of up to 2% of the water we import. PUB draws water from the Johor River and treats water in the Johor River Waterworks near Kota Tinggi in Johor. The water we import from Johor is one of our four national taps. Most NGOs have adopted UNDP`s recommendation, which has also inspired some bills. In France, for example, a proposal was made to Parliament to compensate all users with water bills 3% higher than this level, thanks to individual subsidies financed by a 0.5% tax on the price of water. This bill has been approved by the Senate, but has not yet been ratified by the National Assembly.

The amount of water imported is limited by the amount of water we can obtain under the 1962 water agreement, which is up to 250 mgd. It all depends on where people live and whether or not water meters are used. – OECD: “The price of saving water.” Interesting letter from 2-2 on water pricing issues. Available online at: www.oecdobserver.org/news/fu… At the same conference, he also confirmed that the issue of water had not been discussed in the cabinet before speaking, but that he had been “pushed to announce the subject” after being “questioned” by the press. The question of water: what are the issues and how did we get here? Discover historical seeds and documents in our interactive special: cna.asia/water In short, in 1998, Singapore and Malaysia began negotiations on a “framework for broader cooperation”. During the 1998 financial crisis, Malaysia sought financial loans to support its currency; Singapore offered Malaysia to give its assurance of ensuring Singapore`s long-term water supply. In the end, Malaysia did not need the loans. The negotiations focused on other issues of common interest. In particular, Malaysia wanted to jointly develop other plots in Singapore in exchange for the transfer of its station away from Tanjong Pagar. www.gov.sg/factually/content/why-increase-water-prices The principle of water prices and its various payment systems raises many questions and is of great importance to all water users, especially as prices generally rise, given the relative scarcity of the resource and its frequent pollution, and become a significant part of household budgets.

Before looking at the different water pricing and billing systems, in particular the different types of social policies and solidarity pricing or aid for the most needy, we need to take a closer look at the rationale and components of water prices, that is, what is charged to users, who decides and what is meant by affordable water prices. In such cases, water is often sold per litre or container from small private dealers or managers. But in some areas, the water is free of pipes. Growth in our local watersheds is limited, with two-thirds of our island already a watershed.