Rubber Industry (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 11/1979

Read the first time on 5th March 1979.
An Act to amend the Rubber Industry Act, 1973 (No. 37 of 1973).
Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows: —
Short title and commencement
1.  This Act may be cited as the Rubber Industry (Amendment) Act, 1979, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
Amendment of section 3
2.  Section 3 of the Rubber Industry Act, 1973 (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the principal Act) is amended by inserting, immediately after subsection (3) thereof, the following subsections: —
(4)  The provisions of subsection (1) shall not apply to a person who ships rubber for export if he is the holder of a licence issued to him under the provisions of the Rubber Shipping and Packing Control Ordinance, 1949, of Malaysia (M. Ord. 74 of 1949).
(5)  Subsection (4) shall have force and effect only so long as reciprocal arrangements exist between Malaysia and Singapore whereby a licence to ship rubber for export issued under this Act is deemed to be a valid licence to ship rubber for export issued by the competent authority in Malaysia under the provisions of the Rubber Shipping and Packing Control Ordinance, 1949, of Malaysia or any other written law which repeals and re-enacts, with or without modifications, the aforesaid Ordinance.”.
Amendment of section 4
3.  Section 4 of the principal Act is amended by deleting subsections (2), (3) and (4) thereof and substituting therefor the following: —
(2)  Subject to the provisions of subsection (3), the Association shall grant a licence if after considering —
(a)the character and financial position of the applicant or, if the applicant is a corporation, the character of the directors and the secretary of the corporation and of the corporation’s financial position; and
(b)the interests of the public,
the Association is of the opinion that the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold the licence applied for.
(3)  A licence shall not be granted to any applicant unless he is a registered member of the Association and the holder of a licence issued under section 4 of the Rubber Dealers Act (Cap. 226).
(4)  Any person who is aggrieved by the decision of the Association in refusing to grant a licence may appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.
(5)  Where an appeal is made to the Minister pursuant to subsection (4), the Association shall furnish the Minister with such information as he requires for the purposes of the determination of the appeal. After consideration of the written representations made by the applicant, the Minister may, if he considers there is insufficient ground for interfering with the decision of the Association, dismiss the appeal or, if he is of the opinion that a licence should be granted to the applicant, reverse the decision of the Association and order the Association to grant a licence to the applicant.”.
Repeal and re-enactment of section 5
4.  Section 5 of the principal Act is repealed and the following substituted therefor: —
Period of licence
5.  A licence shall expire on the last day of the year in which it is issued and may be renewed for the following year.”.
Amendment of section 6
5.  Subsection (2) of section 6 of the principal Act is deleted and the following substituted therefor: —
(2)  The Association shall renew a licence unless —
(a)it is of the opinion that the holder thereof has contravened or failed to comply with any of the provisions of this Act or any rules made thereunder; or
(b)it is satisfied that the holder thereof has ceased to be or will soon cease to be a member of the Association; or
(c)the holder thereof has ceased to hold a licence issued under section 4 of the Rubber Dealers Act (Cap. 226).”.
Amendment of section 9
6.  Subsection (3) of section 9 of the principal Act is amended —
(a)by deleting the word “ten” in the first line of paragraph (d) thereof and substituting therefor the word “twenty-five”;
(b)by deleting the word “ten” in the fifth line of paragraph (e) thereof and substituting therefor the word “twenty-five”;
(c)by deleting the word “and” at the end of paragraph (e) thereof;
(d)by inserting, immediately after paragraph (e) thereof, the following paragraph: —
(f)warn him of the consequences of a further contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or any rules made thereunder; and”; and
(e)by re-lettering the existing paragraph (f) thereof as paragraph (g).
Amendment of section 10
7.  Subsection (4) of section 10 of the principal Act is amended by deleting the letter “(f)” in the third line thereof and substituting therefor the letter “(g)”.