Update on Progress of NEA’s Toilet Improvement Programme

Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the progress of NEA’s Toilet Improvement Programme since its launch in 2020; (b) how many privately-owned coffee shops are on board this initiative; (c) what support is available to these coffee shop owners to ensure that they have adequate resources and manpower for maintaining toilet cleanliness; and (d) how can the public give feedback on these coffee shops’ toilets to ensure compliance with cleanliness standards.

The Toilet Improvement Programme, or TIP, for coffee shops was launched in October 2020 and closed in October 2021. The programme provided support of up to 90% co-funding, capped at $45,000, for coffee shop owners or operators to improve toilet designs, install sanitary fittings or adopt technology that facilitates the cleaning and maintenance of toilets in coffee shops. A total of 44 coffee shops had successfully tapped on TIP and completed their improvement works under the programme.

The National Environment Agency works closely with organisations, such as the Public Hygiene Council, the Restroom Association (Singapore) and the Singapore Kindness Movement, to support coffee shop owners or operators to maintain toilet cleanliness through toilet cleanliness audits and provision of public education materials for display in toilets.

Keeping our public toilets clean requires collective action. We encourage everyone to conscientiously clean up after themselves after using public toilets. Members of the public who wish to provide feedback on cleanliness issues in public toilets can do so through the OneService mobile application.

As part of the Year of Public Hygiene, we have set up the Public Toilets Taskforce, which I am co-chairing with the Chairman of Public Hygiene Council Andrew Khng, to work with stakeholders, including coffee shop operators and owners, academics and relevant agencies, to identify ways to improve the cleanliness of public toilets. The work of the task force is still ongoing.