Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 19/1993

Read the first time on 28th May 1993.
An Act to amend the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Act (Chapter 89 of the 1985 Revised Edition).
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 Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing (Amendment) Act 1993 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
New section 6A
2.  The Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Act (referred to in this Act as the principal Act) is amended by inserting, immediately after section 6, the following section:
Advertisement relating to supply of electrical service to state certain particulars
6A.—(1)  No person shall advertise or cause to be advertised by any means the supply of any electrical service unless the advertisement states —
(a)where he is a licensed electrical worker or a licensed electrical contractor, that he is such a person and —
(i)the number of the licence issued to him and the date of expiry of the licence; and
(ii)the address of the place at which he carries on his business; and
(b)where he is not a licensed electrical worker or a licensed electrical contractor, that he is not such a person.
(2)  Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.
(3)  Any person who in any advertisement referred to in subsection (1) states any information which is false or misleading shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.
(4)  Any person who publishes or broadcasts any advertisement which contravenes or fails to comply with subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.
(5)  In any proceedings against a person for an offence under subsection (4), it shall be a defence for him to prove that he acted in good faith and did not know and had no reason to believe that the advertisement contravened or failed to comply with subsection (1).
(6)  For the purpose of subsection (1), “electrical service” includes any form or aspect of electrical work and any manner or description of work in connection with the installation, repair, replacement or inspection of the wiring of an electrical installation or the rectification of an electrical power failure.”.
New sections 11A to 11C
3.  The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 11, the following sections:
Board may require any person to furnish information or evidence
11A.—(1)  The Board or any officer of the Board authorised by the Director of the Electricity Department may, by notice, require any person to furnish to the Board or the authorised officer of the Board within such time as may be specified in the notice, such information or evidence which the Board may require of him for any purpose under this Act as is within his knowledge, custody or control.
(2)  Any person who fails to comply with any requirement of any notice given to him under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Service of documents
11B.—(1)  Any notice, order or document required or authorised by this Act or any regulations made thereunder to be given or served on any person, and any summons issued by a court in connection with any offence under this Act or any regulations made thereunder may be served on the person —
(a)by delivering it to him or to some adult member or employee of his family at his last known place of residence;
(b)by leaving it at his usual or last known place of residence or business in an envelope addressed to him;
(c)by affixing it to some conspicuous part of his last known place of residence;
(d)by sending it by registered post addressed to him at his usual or last known place of residence or business; or
(e)where the person to be served is a body corporate, —
(i)by delivering it to the secretary or other like officer of the body corporate at its registered or principal office; or
(ii)by sending it by registered post addressed to the body corporate at its registered or principal office.
(2)  Any notice, order, document or summons sent by registered post to any person in accordance with subsection (1) shall be deemed to be duly served on the person at the time when the notice, order, document or summons would, in the ordinary course of post, be delivered and in proving service of the notice, order, document or summons, it shall be sufficient to prove that the envelope containing the same was properly addressed, stamped and posted by registered post.
General penalty
11C.  Any person, who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Act or any regulations made thereunder for which no penalty is expressly provided, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.”.
Amendment of section 14
4.  Section 14(1) of the principal Act is amended by deleting “$200” in the last line and substituting “$500”.