Registration of representative office
9.—(1)  A person must not establish or operate a representative office unless the representative office is registered with the Authority.
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(2)  Any person who desires to establish and operate a representative office must —
(a)apply in writing to the Authority for registration under this section; and
(b)provide any information or document that the Authority may require.
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(3)  The Authority must refuse to register a representative office unless —
(a)the applicant is a company, or a company incorporated outside Singapore; and
(b)the applicant satisfies such criteria as may be determined by the Authority.
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(4)  The Authority may register a representative office subject to any conditions that it considers necessary, and the registered person must comply with the conditions of registration imposed by the Authority under this section.
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(5)  The Authority may at any time add to, vary or revoke any condition of registration, or impose a condition of registration.
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(6)  Every registered person must provide any information or document that the Authority may require from time to time.
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(7)  The Authority may cancel the registration of a representative office if the registered person contravenes —
(a)any condition of registration imposed by the Authority; or
(b)any provision of this Act.
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(8)  Any person who contravenes subsection (1) or (6), fails to comply with any condition of registration imposed by the Authority under subsection (4) or (5), or operates a representative office which has had its registration cancelled by the Authority under subsection (7), shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —
(a)in the case of an individual, to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $5,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction; or
(b)in any other case, to a fine not exceeding $100,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $10,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.
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(9)  In this section, unless the context otherwise requires —
“registered person” means a person whose representative office is registered with the Authority under this section;
“representative office” means an office in Singapore established —
(a)by a person who —
(i)intends to carry on insurance business in Singapore; and
(ii)is not an authorised reinsurer, and does not carry on any insurance business or any other business in Singapore; and
(b)to carry out liaison work, market research or feasibility studies for the use of that person.
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