SINGAPORE LEGISLATION

• Published date: 01 December 2001
• Author: WOON SEOW CHENG
• Date: 01 December 2001
• Citation: (2001) 13 SAcLJ 483

Digest of Acts passed between 1st March 2001 and 31st August 2001 (correct as at 30th September 2001)

Supply Act 2001

Act No. 6 of 2001

Long Title: An Act to provide for the issue from the Consolidated Fund and the Development Fund of the sums necessary to meet the estimated expenditure for the financial year 1st April 2001 to 31st March 2002.

Passed by Parliament on: 16 March 2001

Assented to by President on: 21 March 2001

Publication date: 27 March 2001

Commencement date: 1 April 2001

Summary: This Act seeks to make provision for the appropriation of moneys from the Consolidated Fund and the Development Fund to meet the estimated expenditure for the financial year 1st April 2001 to 31st March 2002.

Supplementary Supply Act 2001

Act No. 7 of 2001

Long Title: An Act to provide for making supplementary provision to meet additional expenditure for the financial year 1st April 2000 to 31st March 2001.

Passed by Parliament on: 16 March 2001

Assented to by President on: 21 March 2001

Publication date: 30 March 2001

Commencement date: 27 March 2001

Summary: In accordance with Articles 148(2) and 148C(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, this Act seeks to make additional provision for expenditure in excess of the sums authorised by the Supply Act 2000 (Act 15 of 2000) and Supplementary Supply (No. 2) Act 2000 (Act 29 of 2000). Supplementary estimates in respect of the additional provision have been laid before Parliament.

Public Utilities Act 2001

Act No. 8 of 2001

Long Title: An Act to reconstitute the Public Utilities Board and for matters connected therewith, to repeal the Public Utilities Act (Chapter 261 of the 1996 Revised Edition) and to make consequential amendments to the Sewerage and Drainage Act (Chapter 293A of the 2000 Revised Edition).

Passed by Parliament on: 16 March 2001

Assented to by President on: 26 March 2001

Publication date: 30 March 2001

Commencement date: 1 April 2001

Summary: This Act seeks to repeal and re-enact the Public Utilities Act in order to integrate the Sewerage and Drainage Departments of the Ministry of the Environment as part of the Public Utilities Board, restructure the Board as the Water Authority and divest its role as the regulator of the electricity and piped gas industries to the newly established Energy Market Authority of Singapore. The Act retains, with modifications, the provisions of the Public Utilities Act relating to the functions, duties and powers of the Board, the water undertaking of the Board and water service workers.

The main functions and duties of the reconstituted Board are as follows:

1. (a) provide, construct and maintain such catchment areas, reservoirs and other works as may be required or necessary for the collection, supply and use of water for public and private purposes;

2. (b) manage and work the water installations of the Board and such other installations as may be acquired by the Board;

3. (c) secure and provide an adequate supply of water at reasonable prices;

4. (d) regulate the supply of piped water for human consumption;

5. (e) promote water conservation;

6. (f) act as an agent of the Government in the management and maintenance of public sewers and sewerage systems; and storm water drainage systems, drains and drainage reserves belonging to the Government;

7. (g) regulate the construction, maintenance and improvement of sewerage and land drainage systems;

8. (h) regulate the discharge of sewage and trade effluent;

9. (i) advise the Government on all matters relating to the collection, production and supply of water; and to sewerage and drainage; and

10. (j) whether by itself or in association with any other person or organisation, provide to any person in Singapore or elsewhere consultancy, advisory, technical, managerial or other specialist services relating to sewerage, drainage, or the collection, production and supply of water.

Related Legislation: Sewerage and Drainage Act (Cap 293A)

Energy Market Authority of Singapore Act 2001

Act No. 9 of 2001

Long Title: An Act to establish and incorporate the Energy Market Authority of Singapore, to provide for its functions and powers, and for matters connected therewith.

Passed by Parliament on: 16 March 2001

Assented to by President on: 26 March 2001

Publication date: 30 March 2001

Commencement date: 1 April 2001

Summary: This Act seeks to establish and incorporate a new public corporation called the Energy Market Authority of Singapore to carry out regulatory functions relating to energy utilities and to transfer the assets, liabilities and employees of the Regulation Department of the Public Utilities Board to the Authority.

The main functions and duties of the Authority are as follows:

1. (a) to create a market framework in respect of the supply of —

   1. (i) electricity or gas; or

   2. (ii) other goods or services regulated by the Authority under any written law,

   which promotes and maintains fair and efficient market conduct and effective competition or, in the absence of a competitive market, which prevents the misuse of monopoly or market power;

2. (b) to secure that all reasonable demands for the supply of electricity are satisfied;

3. (c) to promote the development of the electricity and gas industries;

4. (d) to protect the interests of consumers in respect of the quality of electricity and gas supplies, and district cooling services;

5. (e) to protect the interests of the public in respect of the supply and use of electricity and gas, and the provision of district cooling services;

6. (f) to promote the efficient use of energy utilities;

7. (g) to exercise licensing and regulatory functions in respect of electricity, gas and district cooling systems and services, including the establishment of standards and codes relating thereto; and

8. (h) to advise the Government on national needs, policies and strategies relating to energy utilities, and on matters appertaining to the Authority generally.

Related Legislation: Electricity Act 2001 (Act 10 of 2001) and Gas Act 2001 (Act 11 of 2001)

Electricity Act 2001

Act No. 10 of 2001

Long Title: An Act to create a competitive market framework for the electricity industry, to make provision for the safety, technical and economic regulation of the generation, transmission, supply and use of electricity, and for other matters connected therewith, to repeal the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Act (Chapter 89 of the 1985 Edition), and to make consequential amendments to certain written laws.

Passed by Parliament on: 16 March 2001

Assented to by President on: 26 March 2001

Publication date: 30 March 2001

Commencement date: 1 April 2001 (with the exception of Parts III to X, sections 94-104 and sections 105(1) and (2)).

Summary: A summary of the key provisions is as follows:

Part I contains preliminary provisions and definitions.

Part II contains provisions relating to the administration of the Act by the Energy Market Authority of Singapore which shall exercise the functions and duties imposed on it by the Act.

Part III governs the licensing of activities relating to electricity.

A person is prohibited from engaging in the generation, transmission, retailing, import or export of electricity, providing any market support services or trading in or operating any wholesale electricity market unless the person is authorised to do so by an electricity licence granted by the Authority under section 9, or is exempted by the Authority under section 8.

The Authority is empowered to —

1. (a) impose restrictions and conditions when granting an electricity licence;

2. (b) modify the conditions of the licence in accordance with section 12;

3. (c) revoke or suspend an electricity licence or impose a financial penalty on the occurrence of specified events under section 13;

4. (d) direct an electricity licensee, under section 14, to do or not do certain things, to provide a performance bond, guarantee or any other form of security or to pay a financial penalty if it is satisfied that an electricity licensee is contravening, likely to contravene or has contravened any condition of its electricity licence, any code of practice or other standard of performance applicable to the licensee, any provision of the Act or any direction issued by the Authority; and

1. (e) to issue, approve and modify codes of practice and other standards of performance for the regulation of activities and conduct in the electricity industry under section 16 and to give directions under section 17 for or with respect to such codes of practice and standards of performance for the purposes specified in that section.

Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Authority under section 13 or 14 may appeal to the Minister under section 15.

Section 20 sets out the general duties of electricity licensees.

Sections 21 and 22 relate to the provision of market support services to non-contestable consumers, including the setting of tariffs for the supply of electricity to them.

Section 23 empowers the market support services or transmission licensee to require any person who requires a supply of electricity, or any retail electricity licensee acting on behalf of a consumer, to provide reasonable security for the payment of money in respect of the supply of electricity or the provision of all or any main or electrical plant.

Section 24 empowers a market support services licensee to issue a direction to a transmission licensee to disconnect a consumer from the transmission system in accordance with the provisions of the section.

Section 25 provides that the market support services or transmission licensee may require any person to accept the conditions and restrictions specified in the section in respect of a supply of electricity.

Section 26 provides that where a dispute arises between a consumer and a market support services licensee regarding...