Singapore - Facing a record number of litterers in a city which is regarded as one of the cleanest worldwide, the Singapore government is to implement heavier fines for smokers dropping cigarette butts or car drivers leaving parking coupons on the street.

From April 1, first-time offenders are to pay 300 Singapore dollars (200 US dollars) for failing to dispose small items in litter bins, 100 Singapore dollars more than before, media reports said on Tuesday.

Repeat offenders would face even harsher penalties. Besides having to pick up rubbish in public under a Corrective Work Order (CWO), they could also pay fines up to 5,000 Singapore dollars.

The littering problem in Singapore has worsened in recent years, the Straits Times newspaper reported.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), a record number of 33,164 litterbugs were caught last year, more than eight times the number of offenders caught in 2005. About 94 per cent of the litterers are smokers dropping cigarette butts.

The harsher penalties, which have been revised for the first time in 10 years, are part of the NEA's drive to maintain public cleanliness in the city state. Besides the new fines, enforcement officers would continue to target littering hot spots, like shopping belts, bus stops and parks, the report said. (dpa)