Travel Agents (Amendment) Regulations 2023

No. S 927

Travel Agents Act 1975

Travel Agents
(Amendment) Regulations 2023

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 28 of the Travel Agents Act 1975, the Singapore Tourism Board, with the approval of the Minister for Trade and Industry, makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations are the Travel Agents (Amendment) Regulations 2023 and come into operation on 1 January 2024.

Amendment of regulation 2

2. In the Travel Agents Regulations 2017 (G.N. No. S 761/2017) (called in these Regulations the principal Regulations), in regulation 2, after the definition of “niche licence”, insert —

“ “payment” means —

(a)

any payment that is made in money by any of the following means:

(i)	the presentation of a physical or an electronic payment instrument, such as cash, a cheque, a cashier’s order or a voucher bearing a cash value or providing a discount;
(ii)	the use of any credit or debit facility, such as by use of a charge card, credit card or debit card, or a credit or debit arrangement without the use of any such card;
(iii)	the transfer of funds by any digital or electronic means, including by use of a digital wallet;

(b)

any payment that is made in money’s worth by any points, rewards or other similar thing (whether in physical or electronic form) earned by a person under any member or loyalty programme and that may be used to redeem any travel product; or

(c)

any payment that is made by a combination of any means in paragraph (a)(i), (ii) or (iii) or (b);”.

Amendment of regulation 7

3. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 7 —

(a)

in paragraph (a), delete “and” at the end; and

(b)

replace paragraph (b) with —

“(b)

(if the licensee’s licence is not in electronic form) do either of the following:

(i)	surrender the licensee’s licence to the Board;
(ii)	destroy the licensee’s licence in the manner required by the Board; and

(c)

surrender to the Board or destroy or delete all copies of the licensee’s licence under the control or in the possession of the licensee.”.

Replacement of regulation 8

4. In the principal Regulations, replace regulation 8 with —

“Surrender or destruction of licence on revocation

8. Where the Board has revoked a licence under section 9(1) of the Act, the former licensee granted the licence must, within 7 days after the date the revocation of the licence takes effect under section 9(6) of the Act —

(a)

(if the licensee’s licence is not in electronic form) do either of the following:

(i)	surrender the licensee’s licence to the Board;
(ii)	destroy the licensee’s licence in the manner required by the Board; and

(b)

surrender to the Board or destroy or delete all copies of the licensee’s licence under the control or in the possession of the licensee.”.

Amendment of regulation 9

5. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 9 —

(a)

in paragraph (1), replace “and (1AB)” with “, (1AB) and (1AC)”;

(b)

after paragraph (1AB), insert —

“(1AC) For the period between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024 (both dates inclusive), paragraph (1) does not apply to a licensee issued a general licence if the licensee ensures that, at all times during that period —

(a)	where the licensee is a sole proprietor, partnership or unincorporated association — the licensee’s net value is at least $70,000; or
(b)	where the licensee is a company, limited liability partnership or other body corporate — the licensee’s issued and paid‑up capital is at least $100,000 and the licensee’s net value is at least $70,000.”;

(c)

in paragraph (1A), replace “and (1C)” with “, (1C) and (1D)”; and

(d)

after paragraph (1C), insert —

“(1D) For the period between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024 (both dates inclusive), paragraph (1A) does not apply to a licensee issued a niche licence if the licensee ensures that, at all times during that period —

(a)	where the licensee is a sole proprietor, partnership or unincorporated association — the licensee’s net value is at least $35,000; or
(b)	where the licensee is a company, limited liability partnership or other body corporate — the licensee’s issued and paid‑up capital is at least $50,000 and the licensee’s net value is at least $35,000.”.

Replacement of regulation 11

6. In the principal Regulations, replace regulation 11 with —

“Contact information

11.—(1) A licensee must maintain an email address at which the licensee may be contacted by the Board in relation to any matter concerning the licensee.

(2) A licensee must within 14 days after the date of any change in any of the following contact information, notify the Board of the change:

(a)	the licensee’s telephone number;
(b)	the licensee’s email address mentioned in paragraph (1).”.

Amendment of regulation 14

7. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 14 —

(a)

in paragraph (1), replace sub‑paragraphs (b) and (c) with —

“(b)

within 6 months after the close of the financial year of the licensee, a copy of the licensee’s financial statements accompanied by either of the following:

(i)	an independent auditor’s report on those financial statements, that is made in accordance with the Singapore Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants;
(ii)	an independent auditor’s review engagement report certifying those financial statements, that is made in accordance with the Singapore Standard on Review Engagements (SSRE) 2400 (Revised): Engagements to Review Historical Financial Statements issued by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants;

(c)

without affecting sub‑paragraph (b), where requested by the Board and within such time specified by the Board —

(i)	an independent auditor’s report made in accordance with the Singapore Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants on the licensee’s financial statements for any financial year, submitted in the manner specified by the Board; and
(ii)	any other information relating to the licensee’s business as a travel agent.”;

(b)

delete paragraph (1A); and

(c)

in paragraph (2), replace “paragraph (1)(a) or (b) or (1A)” with “paragraph (1)”.

Amendment of regulation 21

8. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 21(5), in the definition of “eligible travel product”, in paragraph (a), replace “licensee requires part payment (including by way of a refundable deposit) of” with “full or the first part payment (including by way of a refundable deposit) required by the licensee is”.

Amendment of regulation 27

9. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 27(2)(a) —

(a)	in sub‑paragraph (ii), insert “and” at the end;
(b)	in sub‑paragraph (iii), replace “; and” at the end with a comma; and
(c)	delete sub‑paragraph (iv).

Amendment of regulation 29

10. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 29(2), after “7(b)”, insert “or (c)”.

Saving and transitional provision

11. Despite regulation 7, regulation 14 of the principal Regulations as in force immediately before 1 January 2024 continues to apply to a licensee in respect of a financial year that closes before that date.

[G.N. Nos. S 100/2018; S 257/2020; S 1086/2020; S 974/2021; S 1003/2022]

Made on 28 December 2023.

CHALY MAH CHEE KHEONG

Chairperson,
Singapore Tourism Board.

[119-01-0010PT0003; AG/LEGIS/SL/334/2020/1 Vol. 1]

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