Wholesome Meat and Fish (Wholesale Market) Rules 1999

No. S 558

Wholesome Meat and Fish Act 1999

(Act 5 of 1999)

Wholesome Meat and Fish (Wholesale Market) Rules 1999

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 41 of the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act 1999, the Minister for National Development hereby makes the following Rules:

Citation and commencement

1. These Rules may be cited as the Wholesome Meat and Fish (Wholesale Market) Rules 1999 and shall come into operation on 10th December 1999.

Definitions

2. In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —

“animal” means any animal which is intended to be used in the production of meat products;

“auctioneer’s badge” means a badge issued by the Director under rule 8 to a person who has been appointed as an authorised auctioneer;

“authorised auctioneer” means a person who is appointed by the Director under rule 7(1)(a) to conduct auctions of animals, fish, meat products or fish products in a wholesale market;

“fish” means any fish (including the young and eggs thereof) which is intended to be used in the production of fish products;

“licence” means a licence granted by the Director under section 22(4) of the Act (read with section 13 thereof) authorising the person to whom the licence is granted to use any premises as a wholesale market;

“licensee” means a person who holds a valid licence.

Licence not transferable

3.—(1) No licensee shall transfer or assign the benefit of his licence to any other person.

(2) A licensee who contravenes paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Licence to be exhibited

4.—(1) A licensee shall exhibit his licence in a conspicuous position in the wholesale market in respect of which the licence has been granted.

(2) A licensee who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Auctions to be conducted by authorised auctioneer

5.—(1) No person shall conduct any auction of any animal, fish, meat product or fish product in a wholesale market unless he is an authorised auctioneer.

(2) No licensee shall employ or engage or cause or permit any person to conduct any auction of any animal, fish, meat product or fish product in a wholesale market unless that person is an authorised auctioneer.

(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall apply notwithstanding that the person conducting or who is to conduct the auction has been licensed as an auctioneer under the Auctioneers’ Licences Act (Cap. 16).

(4) Any person who contravenes paragraph (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Application for appointment of authorised auctioneers

6.—(1) A licensee may apply to the Director for the appointment of one or more persons as authorised auctioneers to conduct the auction of animals, fish, meat products or fish products in the wholesale market to which his licence relates.

(2) An application under paragraph (1) shall —

(a)	be in such form as the Director may require;
(b)	state the names and such other particulars as the Director may require of the persons to be appointed as authorised auctioneers; and
(c)	be accompanied by the appropriate fee as specified in the Wholesome Meat and Fish (Fees) Rules 1999 (G.N. No. S 553/99) for the issue of an auctioneer’s badge to each of the persons sought to be appointed as authorised auctioneers.

Appointment of authorised auctioneers

7.—(1) Upon receipt of an application under rule 6, the Director may —

(a)	subject to such conditions as he thinks fit, appoint any person named in the application as an authorised auctioneer; or
(b)	refuse the application.

(2) Where the Director has refused an application under paragraph (1)(b), the Director shall, if requested to do so by the applicant, state in writing the reasons for his refusal.

(3) The Director may at any time vary or revoke any of the existing conditions imposed under paragraph (1)(a) or impose new conditions.

(4) The appointment of an authorised auctioneer shall be for a period of one year commencing from the date on which the appointment is made under paragraph (1)(a), unless it is sooner revoked under rule 9.

Issue of badges to authorised auctioneers

8.—(1) Where the Director has appointed any person as an authorised auctioneer under rule 7(1)(a), the Director shall issue to such person an auctioneer’s badge which shall be of such design as the Director may determine.

(2) An authorised auctioneer shall wear his auctioneer’s badge at all times when he is conducting any auction in a wholesale market.

(3) An authorised auctioneer who fails or refuses, without lawful excuse, to wear his auctioneer’s badge when conducting an auction in a wholesale market shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

(4) An auctioneer’s badge shall not be transferable.

Revocation or suspension of appointment of authorised auctioneer

9.—(1) The Director may revoke or suspend the appointment of an authorised auctioneer if he is satisfied that —

(a)

the appointment has been obtained by fraud or misrepresentation;

(b)

the authorised auctioneer is contravening or has contravened or has failed to comply with —

(i)	any of the provisions of these Rules;
(ii)	any condition of his appointment; or
(iii)	any direction given to him by the Director or a veterinary public health officer in the course of administering the Act; or

(c)

it is in the public interest to revoke or suspend the appointment.

(2) The Director shall, before revoking or suspending the appointment of an authorised auctioneer under paragraph (1), give to the authorised auctioneer notice in writing of his intention to do so, and shall in such notice call upon the authorised auctioneer to show cause within such time as may be specified in the notice as to why his appointment should not be revoked or suspended.

(3) If the authorised auctioneer —

(a)	fails to show cause within the period of time given to him to do so or such extended period of time as the Director may allow; or
(b)	fails to show sufficient cause,

the Director shall give to the authorised auctioneer notice in writing of the date from which the revocation or suspension of his appointment is to take effect.

(4) An authorised auctioneer shall, upon the revocation or suspension of his appointment, surrender his auctioneer’s badge to the Director within the time specified in the notice referred to in paragraph (3), failing which he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Appeals

10.—(1) Any person who is aggrieved by —

(a)	any condition imposed by the Director under rule 7(1)(a) or (3);
(b)	the refusal of the Director under rule 7(1)(b) to appoint any person as an authorised auctioneer; or
(c)	the revocation or suspension of the appointment of an authorised auctioneer under rule 9,

may, within 7 days of the date of receipt of the notice informing him of such imposition of conditions, refusal, revocation or suspension, as the case may be, appeal in writing to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

(2) Notwithstanding that any appeal under paragraph (1) is pending —

(a)	any condition imposed by the Director under rule 7(1)(a) or (3); or
(b)	the revocation or suspension of the appointment of an authorised auctioneer under rule 9,

shall take effect from the date specified in the notice by the Director therefor, unless the Minister otherwise orders.

Control of wholesale market

11.—(1) All persons using any wholesale market shall comply with all directives that the Director may give from time to time for the proper control and maintenance of the wholesale market.

(2) Any person using a wholesale market who fails to comply with any directive given by the Director under paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

No alteration to physical structure

12.—(1) No person shall make any alteration to any part of any wholesale market or erect any structure or place any physical obstruction whatsoever within or immediately outside the wholesale market without the prior consent of the Director.

(2) Any person who contravenes paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Offences to be compoundable

13. All offences under these Rules may be compounded in accordance with section 39 of the Act.

Made this 6th day of December 1999.

LAM CHUAN LEONG

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of National Development,
Singapore.

[ND 202/1-72 Vol. 6; AG/LEG/SL/349A/99/1 Vol. 1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 41(4) of the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act 1999).

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