After years of rumours, the iPhone Duo is here.

It is Apple's first foldable phone in 19 years since the first iPhone launched in 2007.

Singapore prices

In Singapore, the iPhone Duo is selling for S$3,099 for the 256GB model.

The most expensive option, the 2TB model, is going for S$4,899.

Here is the full price list:

256GB: S$3,099

512GB: S$3,399

1TB: S$3,999

2TB: S$4,899

The iPhone Duo will come in two colors: Night Sky and Star White.

Pre-orders in the U.S. start on Oct. 16, 2026.

The Duo will be available in 70 countries on Oct. 23.

The entry level model available in the U.S. is priced at US$1,999 (S$2,527) for the 256GB model.

2 screens

The folding iPhone has a smaller exterior display when closed.

It opens up to a larger internal screen.

The outer display is 5.4 inches, while the interior panel is 7.6 inches, and can run two separate apps.

Passport-sized

The iPhone Duo is about the size of a passport when closed.

It is made with a titanium frame for durability and to keep its weight down.

Specifications

Inside, the iPhone Duo is powered by Apple's new A20 Pro chip and the company's own C2 modem.

There are two batteries for up to 24 hours of use when both displays are employed equally.

It offers up to 31 hours of video playback using its inner display and up to 44 hours when using the outer screen.

Apple said a 20-minute charge can replenish half the battery.

Sheng Siong will increase its Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) discounts for Blue and Orange cardholders from four per cent to six per cent, as the supermarket chain steps up efforts to help households manage their grocery expenses.

Enhanced discounts till Jan. 1, 2027

In a press release on Sep. 10, 2026, the group said the enhanced discounts will run until Jan. 1, 2027.

Blue CHAS cardholders will now receive a six per cent discount every Thursday, while Orange CHAS cardholders will receive the same discount every Friday.

The move follows Sheng Siong’s decision earlier in June 2026 to double the CHAS discount from four per cent to eight per cent for that month.

The four per cent discount was subsequently extended for the rest of 2026.

The group said it hopes the higher discount will provide customers with additional savings on their regular grocery purchases in the coming months.

Sheng Siong also offering Purchase-with-Purchase promotions

Sheng Siong will also introduce Purchase-with-Purchase (PWP) promotions on selected house brand products, including everyday essentials such as rice and cooking oil.

The group said Blue CHAS cardholders have been receiving a four per cent discount since March 2025, while the same benefit was introduced for Orange CHAS cardholders in January 2026.

Senior citizens will continue to receive four per cent off their purchases on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Together, the various discount programmes provided customers with about S$7.5 million in savings in 2025, the group said.

Family members shopping on behalf of seniors can also present the senior’s physical identity card at the checkout to enjoy the discount, making the scheme more accessible.

CHAS cardholders can likewise present either their physical or digital CHAS cards to receive the applicable discount.

The supermarket chain also continues to offer regular promotions and discounts to help customers save on their grocery purchases.

Customers can also receive cash rebates when they pay with selected credit cards issued by participating bank partners.

A number of online users have shared their opinions on the Singapore government's decision to increase political salaries following a report by British broadcaster BBC.

A video posted on BBC News' Instagram page on Sep. 8, was headlined "Highest paid world leader to get salary increase of $1 million", making a reference to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's increment.

The video stated that PM Wong's annual salary, currently about S$2.2 million, makes him the highest paid leader in the world.

The host added that following this, he will receive an increase of US$1.1 million (S$1.4 million), rounding off his pay to S$3.6 million.

The new benchmark salaries will kick in immediately for the President, PM, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and MPs.

But for other political appointment holders, the proposed adjustments will not be immediately implemented in one step.

The video also compared PM Wong's salary to that of other world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who reportedly earns about US$400,000 (S$505,504) per year.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, meanwhile, makes about US$230,000 (S$290,665) annually.

PM Wong also announced that he would be donating the full increase of his salary, around S$1.4 million each year, to "suitable good causes" for the next five years.

Netizens on pay increment

This is the first time in 15 years the salary norms for political appointment holders is being updated.

Some social media users took to the comments section to voice their support for the pay increment and PM Wong's high salary.

Some said they were Singaporeans.

Others also spoke up.

Some also claimed that the comparison with other world leaders was flawed.

Salary increase

It was announced in parliament on Sep. 8 that the salaries of political appointment holders and members of parliament will be increased following the government's acceptance of an independent review committee's recommendations to raise ministerial salaries.

The increment will be made in line with benchmarks, and the reference annual salary for an MR4 minister will be updated from the existing S$1.1 million to S$1.8 million.

This increase represents a 3.6 per cent annual growth rate since 2011, when ministerial salaries were last adjusted.

However, the proposed adjustments will not be implemented immediately in one step.

More immediately, existing political officeholders will receive a one-off adjustment of up to 9 per cent from Oct. 15, 2026.

PM Wong said that the same increase will not automatically apply to everyone, as it will depend on individual circumstances, including performance and when their salary was last adjusted.

He explained that ministerial salaries have fallen behind as salaries in other sectors have increased, including those in the private sector, civil service and judiciary.

The increment is also meant to encourage capable Singaporeans to step into political office, he added.

Kiki Darling's role in the upcoming "Ah Boys to Firefighters" movie will be recast following the production team's discovery that he had previously been convicted of sexual assault.

The 24-year-old, whose real name is Hari Kishen Balakrishnan, was unveiled on Aug. 31 as one of the leading men in Jack Neo's latest film.

After Hari's casting, news of his previous conviction circulated online.

A spokesperson from the production told Mothership that they had verified the news on Sep. 8.

"We were very surprised to hear about it," the spokesperson said.

"None of the production crew was aware of his previous conviction as none of the cast members had declared that they had any prior convictions."

After discussions, Hari decided to resign from his role.

The spokesperson said the actor understood the "potential risks" to the production if he were to continue as one of the movie's main characters.

Prior conviction in 2021

CNA reported in September 2021 that Hari — then aged 20 — pleaded guility to committing sexual assault on a 23-year-old male friend after a night of drinking.

In the bedroom of a friend's apartment, Hari sexually assaulted the almost unconscious man for about 17 minutes.

The latter had not consented to the act before passing out.

Hari also took seven video clips of himself performing sex acts on the naked victim.

The clips were deleted, but police later recovered them during investigations.

Described as "stateless", the aspiring actor was sentenced to at least six months of reformative training, a regimented rehabilitation programme for those under 21 who commit relatively serious crimes.

Recasting and reshooting

Work to recast the role and reshoots are currently underway, while edits will be made to remove Hari from the film.

Casting for future movie projects would go through more stringent processes, the spokesperson added.

The film is set to portray the story of four young National Servicemen who are posted to the same fire station, each with very different attitudes towards their service.

It is slated for a 2027 Chinese New Year release.

After a 15-year freeze, the salaries of Singapore's political officeholders will be adjusted after the government accepted the recommendations of an independent review committee.

The benchmark salary of a minister at entry-level grade MR4 will increase from S$1.1 million to S$1.8 million.

The news caught international media attention, and all sorts of numbers have been thrown out — S$1 million increase, 64 per cent rise.

But how much are Singapore's political officeholders actually getting paid now?

Why raise salaries?

Before anything, the context.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong emphasised the reason for the increase: good government depends on good leadership, and good leadership requires good talent.

There are many impediments when it comes to convincing individuals to switch to political life. A pay cut might not be the main reason — but it's still an opportunity cost that should not be ignored.

In his speech, PM Wong mentioned potential pipelines of talent for public office. Such an individual might be a senior civil servant, or the CEO of a major listed company in Singapore (or on track to be one).

"At those levels, remuneration can run into several million dollars a year — well even above the revised MR4 benchmark," PM Wong said.

The government is not, and will not, try to match that. But adjusted salaries could help make sure that the financial hurdle is not "unnecessarily high".

So, what's the pay package?

To understand a minister's salary, we first have to understand how their pay structures work.

In short, the pay is based on a few key components: the framework, the ratios, the salary range, and the pay composition.

The framework

First, the framework.

It was established by the 2012 review committee, which was also when salaries were last adjusted. In fact, at the time, salary benchmarks were cut.

The salary point of an entry-level grade MR4 minister takes reference from the median income of the top 1,000 Singapore citizen earners.

This was chosen as the 2012 committee found that these earners represented the calibre of individuals needed in government.

A 40 per cent discount was then applied to this median figure to reflect the spirit of public service.

40 per cent is more art than science. As the 2012 committee wrote, "There is no scientific method for striking a balance between paying competitive salaries and taking a discount to signify the political service ethos. It is a judgment call."

So, the 2026 committee found that the median income of the top 1,000 was S$3.1 million. After applying the 40 per cent discount, you get around S$1.8 million.

So that S$1.8 million is now the benchmark salary for an entry-level grade minister.

The ratios

Now, the MR4 salary — that S$1.8 million figure — is important. Remember it, because it's the reference point for the salaries of all other political appointment holders.

How, you may ask. Well, all other salaries of political appointment holders, from the PM to the Deputy PM and President, are calculated based on ratios, pegged to the MR4.

For example, the PM's ratio compared to MR4 is two. This means the PM will earn twice the MR4 minister benchmark salary.

Here's the full table of ratios following the 2026 review.

For the sake of simplicity, the table doesn't include the President, Speaker of Parliament, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Members of Parliament, Nominated Members of Parliament, and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament.

But the salaries of all these appointments are also pegged, indirectly, to the MR4 benchmark salary.

For example, the President's salary is pegged to 70 per cent of the PM's, the Speaker's at 50 per cent of an MR4 minister's, and the Deputy Speaker's at 15 per cent of the Speaker's.

The salary range

Does this mean a newly-appointed MR4 minister will get S$1.8 million? Not quite.

S$1.8 million is the reference salary point, but each ministerial grade also has a salary range, based on this reference point.

This range is meant to give the PM flexibility in deciding how much to pay ministers within the same grade. And where an individual places in this range can be based on factors such as performance, experience, and so on.

Let's say you and a friend are both up to become newly appointed ministers. You have a long and illustrious career behind you, and a pay package to match; your friend, on the other hand, is less experienced, though super promising.

This salary range will give your boss the room to pay you more, based on your experience and career stage, than your younger colleague.

So what does this mean for the pay package? Following the 2026 report, this range is between +/- 25 per cent from the reference salary point, for most ministerial grades.

That means a new MR4 minister can be remunerated anywhere between S$1.35 million to S$2.25 million.

Here are the salary ranges for the various ministerial grades and appointment.

The pay composition

PM Wong has said that 10 out of 16 ministers are currently at the MR4 grade.

He expects most of them to be at the lower end of the MR4 grade salary point — which means S$1.35 million — by the end of this term of government.

Does this mean an average MR4 minister will receive exactly S$1.35 million?

Not quite either.

Ministerial salaries are made up of two components: fixed and variable pay.

Fixed pay comes in at 65 per cent. Variable pay comes in at 35 per cent.

The fixed pay consists of the monthly pay and a 13th-month bonus. In other words, 13 months of pay annually.

The variable pay component comprises an annual variable component (AVC), individual performance bonus, and the National Bonus.

AVC typically ranges zero to 1.5 months, depending on Singapore's economic performance.

Individual performance bonus is decided by the PM, and ranges from zero to six months.

The National Bonus depends on whether the four key indicators meet their target levels, and ranges from zero to six months.

For PM Wong, because nobody grades his individual performance, his pay packet does not include an individual performance bonus component.

Instead, his National Bonus is double that of a minister, ranging from zero to 12 months.

In short, here's the formula for a minister/appointment holder:

One more thing

We are almost ready to make a calculated guess as to how much ministers will get paid, following the adjustments.

But first, there is one more detail to take note of.

The new benchmark salaries will kick in immediately for the President, PM, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and MPs. (It's worth mentioning that PM Wong has committed to donating his entire increment to suitable good causes for the next five years.)

But for other existing officeholders — current ministers included — salaries will not immediately shift to the new benchmarks.

Instead, they will instead receive a one-off adjustment of up to 9 per cent by Oct. 15, 2026, subject to performance.

So, how much are the ministers getting paid?

It is impossible to know the specific adjusted salary without knowing the specific pre-adjustment figure, which is not public information.

So, we'll have to make use of the example given by PM Wong.

Let's assume you are an MR4 minister earning S$1.1 million at the moment. You've done well, and PM Wong gives you the full 9 per cent increment.

You get about S$1.2 million. That's about 33 per cent shy of the benchmark salary of S$1.8 million.

Let's break this figure down.

In a good year

For starters, your 65 per cent fixed pay will be S$780,000. That's about S$60,000 a month (remember, it's inclusive of a 13th-month bonus).

You performed well, so PM Wong decided that you are deserving of a three-month performance bonus.

At the same time, Singapore fared well and hit the National Bonus indicator targets, but did not exceed them. This grants you an additional three-month bonus.

Together with an AVC of one month, your bonus comes in at seven months.

So, you get an additional S$420,000. This is how you'll earn the full S$1.2 million. Inclusive of bonuses, this comes up to 20 months of pay.

In an exceedingly good year

Let's say both you and Singapore do exceedingly well. You get the maximum six months of performance bonus and six months of National Bonus.

Together with a maximum 1.5-month AVC, your bonuses will come in at 13.5 months.

With the fixed pay component, your take home in an exceedingly good year will go beyond S$1.2 million, reaching S$1.59 million.

In a bad year

But take the converse. Let's say both you and Singapore underperform, for whatever reason. Your bonuses will clock in at zero months.

That leaves you with just your fixed pay of 13 months, and your pay that year will be S$780,000.

So taking everything together, if we consider bonuses and assume that you're getting S$1.2 million after the 9 per cent adjustment, you stand to make between S$780,000 and S$1.59 million in a year.

Of course, this is just for entry-level ministers.

For a more senior figure — say DPM Gan — let's assume his original remuneration was S$1.87 million (the previous salary reference point for DPMs).

With the full 9 per cent applied, his adjusted remuneration will be around S$2,040,000 in a good year.

In an exceedingly good year, his remuneration may reach S$2,703,000, after including 13.5 months worth of bonuses.

In a bad year with no bonuses, S$1,326,000.

However, because the salaries of each minister are assigned within a range, it is impossible to know the exact remuneration of each individual minister without making assumptions, unless the particular figures are explicitly disclosed. Which they're not, for now.

Clean wages

Even in a bad year, an MR4 minister stands to earn more than most political leaders around the world. The U.S. president earns US$400,000 (S$505,636); the UK prime minister, £172,153 (S$294,787).

But one running argument in support of the high wages is that these high wages are also clean wages, which is one the core principles of the current ministerial salary framework.

That means the ministerial salaries do not contain hidden perks. No pensions, no housing, no flashy vehicles, no tax exemptions.

Only the President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament are accorded the use of an official car, which is taxable.

Ministerial salaries are also CPF-eligible and taxable.

Compare this with the U.S. and UK examples mentioned earlier. The British prime minister gets access to extensive property, including various country houses across the UK. The U.S. president gets a US$246,000 per year pension from the time they leave office until their death.

(Donald Trump also famously flies around in a luxury private jet gifted by the royal family of Qatar. But that's another story.)

In PM Wong's words:

"The full remuneration is transparent. There are no hidden salary components or perks outside the published framework. This is what we mean by a clean wage.

In return, Singaporeans rightly expect a great deal from their political leaders. High standards of integrity and conduct. Competence. Responsibility for the decisions we make. And ultimately, accountability to voters at the ballot box."

Debate on Thursday

While the government’s decision on the salary adjustments does not need to pass a vote in parliament, parliament is nonetheless set to debate the government’s position on the ministerial salary review on Thursday (Sep. 10).

The debate will be on PM Wong's and Chan's ministerial statements.

The Workers' Party has raised objections to the ministerial salary framework in the past.

Its manifesto also calls for the abolishing of the office of the mayor.

In 2012, when debating ministerial salaries, the Workers’ Party proposed an alternate framework to peg a minister’s salary to that of a senior management grade in the civil service instead.

Back then, chief among their criticisms of the 2012 framework was that the proposal to peg a minister’s salary to the top 1,000 income earners has “created a flawed formula”.

These income earners make up a small percentage of the workforce and are unrepresentative of the general population, the WP said in a 2012 statement.

They also proposed for any review or change of the salary structure for political office to be subjected to parliamentary approval.

Earlier this year during his Budget 2026 speech, WP chief Pritam Singh questioned if some of the National Bonus indicators, such as GDP and income growth, were still relevant in the age of AI.

"If GDP growth will no longer reliably create good jobs for Singaporeans, should it remain in the ministerial bonus formula at all?" he asked.

In his speech on Sep. 8, Chan Chun Sing said that the government will be tightening the targets for the National Bonus and studying indicators to reflect the quality of life as experienced by Singaporeans.

Related stories

Singapore ranks 17th globally in estimated OnlyFans spending per 10,000 adults in 2026.

In terms of total estimated spending on the subscription-based online content platform, Singapore ranks 35th globally.

The "per 10,000 adults" method of calculation is a way to measure and compare data fairly across countries with very different population sizes.

For example, two countries might spend the same amount in total, but the country with a smaller population will have a higher per 10,000 adults spending.

Total spending

According to the OnlyFans Wrapped 2026 report, people in Singapore spent an estimated US$18.8 million (S$23.8 million) on OnlyFans in 2026.

This is a 12.44 per cent increase from the US$16.7 million (S$21.1 million) in the previous year.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore ranks sixth in total spending on OnlyFans, falling behind Japan in fifth place, with a total estimated spending of US$22.4 million (S$28.3 million).

Australia is ranked highest in the Asia-Pacific region at US$120.2 million (S$151.9 million).

Per 10,000 people

In Singapore, an estimated US$36,955 (S$46,714) is spent on OnlyFans per 10,000 adults in 2026.

This is a 12.43 per cent increase from the US$32,868 (S$41,537) spent per 10,000 adults in the previous year.

Singapore ranks third in estimated OnlyFans spending per 10,000 adults in the Asia-Pacific region, falling behind New Zealand in second place, with estimated spending of US$45,191 (S$57,112) per 10,000 people.

Australia ranks highest in the Asia-Pacific region at US$56,383 (S$71,255) per 10,000 people.

Global ranking

Globally, the United States dominates the rankings with a whopping estimated total of US$4.8 billion (S$6.07 billion) spent on OnlyFans in 2026.

OnlyFans made an estimated US$7.8 billion (S$9.9 billion) in revenue, and its creators kept an estimated US$6.8 billion (S$8.6 billion) of it.

A man, 32, was arrested on Sep. 7 at Tiong Bahru Plaza during a routine police patrol.

While the police carried out their arrest, the man put up a struggle and had to be subdued by force.

In a video shared by Xiaohongshu user Chic Ken, the man is seen cornered against the wall by two police officers while attempting to wrestle himself free.

In response to queries from Mothership, the Singapore Police Force stated that the incident took place around 8:30pm when officers approached the man while on patrol for a routine check.

He was found to be wanted for drug-related offences.

In addition, he was also discovered to have a vaporiser in his possession.

The man put up a struggle and necessary force had to be used to restrain him.

The vaporiser-related offence has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation, while the drug-related offences have been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau.

Investigations are still ongoing.

A property agent raised concerns after some people not related to a public housing flat under renovation allegedly entered the premises repeatedly.

On Sep. 3, property agent Qidah Fuad posted a TikTok showing the alleged trespassing incidents and noted that the clips were shot on two separate occasions.

In her caption, Qidah wrote: "Is entering someone's house during renovation a norm now? Isn’t this trespassing?"

"What happens if items go missing? What if you get injured while you’re inside? Just because you are so kaypoh."

The video has garnered over 119,000 views, 2,600 likes, and 200 comments.

2 different occasions

In the video, individuals presumed to be residents in another unit, entered the flat and immediately started snapping photographs.

Despite seeing surveillance cameras, the individuals wandered into the flat's kitchen and rooms, said Qidah.

In her caption, the property agent said she could not tell if the individuals entering on both occasions were the same people.

She added: "This shouldn’t be a norm. You should never enter someone’s house without permission."

"Workers have told them off but refuse to listen and continue... But still..."

Confusion and concern over behaviour

Most commenters in the comments section expressed confusion at the trespassing behaviour, with some noting that they had experienced the same before.

Another commenter noted that this seemed to be the "new normal".

One commenter, who sided with the individuals who entered the unit without the homeowner's consent, was quickly shut down by Qidah.

@qidahfuad Is entering someone house during renovation a norm now? Isn’t this trespassing? What happens if items go missing, what if you get injured while you’re inside? Just because you are so kpo. This was two different occasions. Can’t tell if it’s the same person. This shouldn’t be a norm. You should NEVER enter someone’s house without permission. Workers have told them off but refuse to listen and continue... But still… #trespassing #renonvationsg @Mothership @CNA @Stomp Singapore @SG Daily 🇸🇬 ♬ Saxophones getting louder - Sped Up - AntonioVivald

Today, Singapore has fewer than 200 farms and produces less than 10 per cent of the food consumed by its population of about six million people, according to Member of Parliament (MP) Poh Li San.

Speaking in Parliament on Sep. 9, she questioned if Singapore is "cutting ourselves too thin" with this low rate of food self-sufficiency.

Along with three other MPs, Poh put forward a motion on food security, calling on the government to support efforts to reduce food waste, and ensure Singaporeans have access to affordable food supply amid geopolitical uncertainties and climate-related risks.

Food waste contributes to higher prices

Poh said that Singapore has been importing food excessively and throwing away too much edible food.

Over the past five years, an average of 790,000 tonnes (or 128kg per capita) of food was thrown away each year. The food recycling rate hovers at around 18 per cent.

This contributes to higher food prices, she pointed out, because further resources get wasted in the process, for transportation and incineration.

Singaporeans are becoming anxious about rising food costs, and she believes Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers will not be sufficient to offset the higher costs in the long run.

"We would be better off producing more food locally, wasting less, and keeping food prices more affordable," she said.

"I ask not for caviar and artichokes, but for fresh fruit, fish, and eggs. Not for air-flown or imports from exotic places, but that all be nutritious and safe to eat."

Food production as national defence

Poh called for the government to review increasing support to boost local food production and raise the self-sufficiency rate to at least 30 per cent.

To reach that target, she asked the government to consider local food production capability as a strategic buffer and part of Singapore's total defence security.

"Just as we have spent billions of dollars over the past decades to build up our military defence capabilities, the government may consider increasing our national budget into building up our local food production capabilities."

The government should also help local farmers mitigate high production costs in terms of land, manpower, and utilities, and help aggregate demand for local farm produce, she added.

Reducing food waste

Poh also put forth a few proposals for how the government can help to reduce food waste.

The first is to collect more data on the amount of food imported and disposed.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) should connect existing sets of such data already collected across different agencies to improve tracking and insights, she said.

SFA should also track donation volumes by major food suppliers and incentivise them to donate the food items before expiry date.

Additionally, she said Singapore needs to create a more circular food ecosystem.

Poh brought up several local start-ups that offer innovative solutions by selling unconsumed cooked food at discounted prices, and turning food scraps into fish feed supplied to fish farms, contributing back to food production.

She called for the government to support such start-ups with more seed funding, grants, and tax rebates to help them defray business costs.

This support can also incentivise them to scale up faster and make a bigger social impact.

Finally, she urged the government to give grants to support food charity groups such as Food Bank, Food Rescue Sengkang, and Fridge Restock Community.

These three food charities rescue about 2,400 tonnes of food annually, which frees up capacity at incineration plants, she said.

Nothing screams holiday season like the mandatory haul reels on TikTok and Instagram. But before you start filming yours, here is what Singapore Customs wants you to know.

During a week-long sweep in May 2026, 43 travellers were caught for failing to declare and pay taxes on their goods.

The total duty and GST evaded came to about S$5,354, with S$9,740 in composition sums imposed.

So, what do you need to do to ensure you do not end up being one of them?

What counts as taxable?

All goods brought into Singapore are subject to GST, and that includes everything from souvenirs and gifts to food, regardless of whether you already paid tax on them overseas.

Returning residents are not exempt either.

Why does it matter?

Simply put, it keeps things fair for local businesses that have been paying GST on the same goods all along.

The GST you pay also goes towards ensuring Singapore stays running. It goes into the national treasury, the same pot that pays for the MRT line you take home from the airport, the schools down the road, and the hospitals that you hopefully will not need to use.

How much can you bring in before you need to pay GST?

Well, it all boils down to how long you have been away and why you are bringing the goods in.

That said, there is one part people often get wrong. You declare the full value of your goods, not just the amount above your relief.

The relief is applied when Customs works out how much GST is payable.

These reliefs apply only to goods intended for personal use or consumption. Items brought in for commercial purposes or on behalf of others are not eligible.

A note on liquor and tobacco:

Planning to stock up on drinks duty-free?

You can bring in up to two litres of liquor (depending on type) for personal consumption if you meet the conditions below.

As for cigarettes and tobacco products, there is zero duty-free concession. Every stick is subject to duty and GST, no exceptions.

To make things clearer, here are some scenarios to help you figure out what you need to declare.

Scenario 1: Quick day trip to Johor Bahru (less than 48 hrs)

You zipped across the Causeway for a day and came back with groceries, a bag and a new top, totalling S$280.

Since you were away for less than 48 hours, your GST import relief is up to S$100. You will need to declare the full S$280, and GST will be charged on S$180, which is the amount above your relief.

The easiest way to do it? Declare via the Customs@SG Web Application before you even cross back, get your e-receipt, and walk through the Green Channel.

Scenario 2: Short holiday to Bangkok (48 hrs or more)

Four days in Bangkok, and you did some damage: clothes, skincare, a new bag and a pile of souvenirs, totalling S$1,200.

Since you were away for 48 hours or more, your GST import relief goes up to S$500. You will need to declare the full S$1,200, and GST will be charged on S$700.

Declare via the Customs@SG Web Application up to three days before you fly home, pay, and waltz through the Green Channel when you land.

Still, there are a few assumptions worth clearing up:

How to declare and pay — without the queue

Good news: declaring your goods does not have to mean joining a long queue at the checkpoint.

When you arrive in Singapore, you will need to use either the Red or Green Channel at customs.

If you have dutiable or taxable goods to declare, head to the Red Channel.

If you have nothing to declare, use the Green Channel.

The easiest way to pay taxes is via the Customs@SG Web Application, which lets you declare and pay your GST up to three days before you even land, anytime and anywhere.

Once you have paid, you will get an e-receipt. Flash it to officers if you are stopped, and waltz through the Green Channel like the law-abiding traveller you are.

Prefer to sort it out on arrival instead?

Look for the Customs Declaration Kiosks at the checkpoints or terminals.

Payment is cashless and fuss-free. The Customs@SG Web Application accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, JCB, PayNow, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

What happens if you do not declare?

Don't even think about sneaking that newly acquired bag past customs.

Those who fraudulently evade customs or excise duties can be fined up to 20 times the amount evaded, jailed for up to two years, or both.

That bag suddenly does not seem like such a bargain.

Failing to declare goods is an offence under Singapore law. Minor cases may be settled with a composition sum, but more serious offences go straight to court.

For cases where the penalty exceeds S$5,000, offenders may be charged in court without any offer of composition.

Use the Customs@SG Web Application to declare and pay in advance.

For more information, visit Singapore Customs' website.

This sponsored article made this writer double-check her own declaration habits before her next trip.