Do you know what you pay for every month?

As I was looking at the SP Services October 08 bill on the wall, I began to examine the list of charges, and these were my thoughts....

For the residents in Singapore, do you realise that you are paying 37% of taxes for the amount of water you consume? If you look at your monthly bill from SP Services, you would notice an item called "Water Conservation Tax". Who knows what it entails? Water conservation? We are charged from the first dollar!!! Why do they deserve 30% on top of the 7% GST (Goods and Services Tax). There is an additional "Waterborne Fee". What is that?

Another item called "Refuse Removal by SembWaste Pte Ltd". That costs $5.43 per month. Is this a duplication of the Service and Conservancy Charges collected by the Town Councils? I always see Town Council workers clearing the refuse. Is there such a service provided by the SembWaste Pte Ltd? I am not sure where they are working and why am I paying for it? Please take a look at your bill again.

Has anyone ever questioned all these items presented in the monthly bills? Perhaps, when the pocket was full, no one bothers; but when the economy is turning bad, and retrenchment and unemployment is around the corner, people may be more conscious of what they pay for.