Enforcement actions have surged as part of a new public hygiene campaign in Singapore.
In 2024, the Year of Public Hygiene, Singapore has seen a significant increase in enforcement actions against public toilet operators. From January 1 to November 15, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) issued 1,253 fines and warnings for public toilet cleanliness violations. This is more than triple the number of enforcement actions recorded in the same period of 2023, which totaled 367.
In addition to the fines and warnings, 10 coffee shops have been suspended by the SFA for toilet-related and food safety offences, a stark increase compared to just one suspension in each of the previous two years.
To address these concerns, the government launched the Cleaner Public Toilets Campaign 2024. The campaign’s tagline, “Everyone wins when our toilets are clean,” emphasizes the joint responsibility of both toilet users and operators in maintaining cleanliness. The initiative was unveiled on November 21 by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng at Senja Hawker Centre in Bukit Panjang.
The campaign, co-organized by NEA, the Public Hygiene Council (PHC), and other stakeholders, encourages all citizens to contribute to keeping public toilets clean, highlighting that it is beneficial to everyone. “It is everybody’s responsibility, and it is to everybody’s benefit if our public toilets are clean,” Mr. Baey stated.
The government is also exploring measures to assist toilet operators with better maintenance and upgrades. Additionally, a Public Toilet Task Force aims to improve resources for operators and encourage more frequent upgrades to facilities.
One example of a successful initiative is Senja Hawker Centre, which received a five-star rating under the Restroom Association Singapore’s (RAS) Happy Toilet Programme. The centre’s design features antibacterial floor tiles and rimless anti-stain flushing systems to ease maintenance, making it a model for other facilities.
To further promote toilet hygiene, the PHC has piloted a toilet cleanliness module as part of the Keep Singapore Clean Movement in schools. The module, already introduced in a few primary schools, will expand to 15 schools by the end of 2025. The initiative educates students not only on hygiene but also on the importance of personal responsibility in maintaining clean facilities.
Through these combined efforts, the government hopes to cultivate a stronger culture of cleanliness and public responsibility across the country.
