Number of rat-related enforcement actions in S’pore nearly doubled in 2024: NEA

Over 1,000 enforcement actions were taken against premise owners or occupiers for for rat-related lapses in 2024, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a Feb. 14 statement.

This was almost double the number of rat-related actions taken in 2023.

Of this number, nearly half were for poor refuse management.

Offenders included shopping malls, food establishments, and other trade premises.

Stepped-up action

The rise in enforcement came as part of stepped-up actions in line with the year of public hygiene, said NEA.

And from Apr. 1, 2025, NEA will tighten enforcement even further.

In particular, lapses in three key areas — poor refuse management, defects in refuse handling facilities, and the presence of rat nests — will be subject to tighter rules.

Such lapses are subject to enforcement by NEA under the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA) and the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act (CVPA).

For a first offence under the CVPA, premises owners can be fined up to S$20,000, jailed up to three months, or both.

For a first offence under the EPHA, they can be fined up to S$1,000 and further fined up to S$100 per day while the offence continues.

Managing rats

NEA said that managing the rat population is a community-wide effort, and laid out the following guidelines:

• Individuals should bag and dispose of food waste properly into refuse bins. They should keep the bin cover shut, where applicable.
• Businesses should bag, tie, and dispose of food waste into covered bins. Bins should be kept in good repair, with the lid shut, and the surrounding environment free of clutter.
• Food handlers should secure food items above the ground and store them in tightly-covered containers to keep rats out.

Top image by Ilyda Chua