Details of Tax Measures and Rebates

Extension of Utilities Save

Explanatory note

The Utilities Save scheme will be extended for another year, from July 2002 to April 2003:

The total rebates for HDB households will amount to:

• $350 for households living in 1 to 3-room flats

• $300 for housholds living in 4-room flats

• $250 for households living in 5-room flats

These rebates will be given out in 10 equal monthly payments from July 2002 to April 2003. Households living in 1 to 3-room HDB flats will get $35 a month, those in 4-room flats $30 a month and those in 5-room HDB flats $25 a month.

The Utilities Save scheme amounts to a total of $226 million.

Additional Details:

Since 1997, the Government has been giving out utilities rebates to HDB households. In this year's Budget, the Government gave utilities rebates as part of a new "Utilities Save" scheme, designed to help the lower income. The rebates are graduated according to flat size so that the lower-income households get more. The rebates are given in 10 equal monthly payments. There are two months in the years in which households have to make full payments, so that they will be encouraged to save on water and electricity. As such, the scheme was named Utilities Save.