Wholesome Meat and Fish (Import, Export and Transhipment) Rules 1999

No. S 554

Wholesome Meat and Fish Act 1999

(Act 5 of 1999)

Wholesome Meat and Fish (Import, Export and Transhipment) 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 (Import, Export and Transhipment) Rules 1999 and shall come into operation on 10th December 1999.

Definitions

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

“appropriate fee”, in relation to any matter for which a fee is payable, means the fee therefor as specified in the Wholesome Meat and Fish (Fees) Rules 1999 (G.N. No. S 553/99);

“basic packaging unit”, in relation to any meat product or fish product, means —

(a)	where the meat product or fish product is a prepackaged product, each package of the meat product or fish product; or
(b)	where the meat product or fish product consists of a carcase or part of a carcase which has not been prepackaged, each such carcase or part thereof;

“customs office or station” means any place that is prescribed as a customs office or station under the Customs (Offices and Stations) Regulations (Cap. 70, Rg 7) and, in relation to any meat product or fish product which has been imported into Singapore, means the customs office or station at which the meat product or fish product arrived in Singapore;

“export health certificate”, in relation to any consignment of meat products or fish products that is to be exported to a foreign country, means a certificate issued by the Director or a veterinary public health officer stating to the effect that the consignment has been examined in accordance with the requirements of that country and has been found to be fit for human consumption and in compliance with the requirements of that country;

“health certificate”, in relation to any consignment of meat products or fish products that originates from a foreign country, means a certificate issued by a competent authority of that country stating to the effect that there are in place in that country, such animal health and veterinary public health control programmes or, where applicable, such shellfish sanitation programmes, which conform to such requirements as may be specified by the Director;

“licence” means a licence required under section 5 of the Act for the import, export or transhipment of any meat product or fish product;

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

“package”, in relation to any meat product or fish product, means any box, bag, wrapper, packet, can, bottle or other article in which the product is contained or packed;

“permit” means a permit required under section 6 of the Act for the import, export or transhipment of any consignment of meat products or fish products.

Person to whom licence or permit may be granted

3.—(1) The Director shall not grant a licence or permit to any person unless the person is carrying on business in Singapore and is —

(a)	registered under the Business Registration Act (Cap. 32); or
(b)	in the case of a company, incorporated or registered under the Companies Act (Cap. 50).

(2) The Director may refuse to grant a licence to an applicant if he is satisfied that the applicant or one of his partners or, if the applicant is a body corporate, one of its directors —

(a)	had previously been convicted of an offence under the Act or these Rules; or
(b)	was the holder of a licence which had been revoked under section 8 of the Act.

Licence and permit not transferable

4.—(1) No licensee shall transfer or assign the benefit of his licence or any permit granted to him 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.

Licensee importing or transhipping meat products and fish products to submit certain documents

5.—(1) A licensee who has imported or who is transhipping any consignment of meat products or fish products shall, before the removal of the consignment from the customs office or station, submit to a veterinary public health officer a copy each of —

(a)	the health certificate relating to the consignment (if required by the veterinary public health officer);
(b)	the import declaration in respect of the consignment; and
(c)	such other document in respect of the consignment as the Director or veterinary public health officer may reasonably require.

(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.

Procedure for examination of imported meat products and fish products

6.—(1) The examination of any consignment of meat products or fish products which has been imported into Singapore shall be carried out at the place where the consignment is being kept immediately after its import.

(2) The authorised examiner shall conduct —

(a)	a general examination of the whole consignment; and
(b)	a detailed examination of at least one basic packaging unit of the meat products or fish products declared in the cargo clearance permit and health certificate.

(3) Any sample of meat product or fish product that is frozen shall be adequately thawed for the purpose of the detailed examination under paragraph (2)(b).

(4) The person who has imported the consignment or his representative shall, before the commencement of the examination, present to the authorised examiner conducting the examination 2 sets (in duplicate) of the cargo clearance permit and health certificate relating to the consignment.

(5) Where the authorised examiner, upon having conducted the requisite examination, finds that the consignment of meat products or fish products is fit for human consumption, he shall endorse the cargo clearance permit relating to the consignment with a statement to that effect.

(6) Where the authorised examiner, upon having conducted the requisite examination, finds that the consignment of meat products or fish products is unfit for human consumption, he shall —

(a)	endorse the cargo clearance permit relating to the consignment with a statement to that effect; and
(b)	notify a veterinary public health officer of his finding.

(7) The veterinary public health officer may detain the consignment pending its removal, destruction or disposal from Singapore under section 10 of the Act.

Labelling of meat products and fish products

7.—(1) For the purpose of section 6(1)(d) of the Act, a licensee shall ensure that —

(a)	every basic packaging unit of any meat product or fish product to be imported by him; and
(b)	every carton containing one or more of such basic packaging units of the meat product or fish product,

are labelled with the following particulars:

(i)	a description of the meat product or fish product;
(ii)	the country from which the meat product or fish product originates;
(iii)	the brand name of the meat product or fish product, if any;
(iv)	the name and designation number of the processing establishment in which, and the date on which, the meat product or fish product was processed, if applicable;
(v)	in the case of a meat product, the name and designation number of the slaughter-house in which the animals used in the production of such meat product were slaughtered and the date of the slaughter;
(vi)	the name and designation number of the establishment in which, and the date on which, the meat product or fish product was packed;
(vii)	the batch number and, where the meat product or fish product is canned, the canning code; and
(viii)	the net weight of the meat product or fish product as contained in each basic packaging unit and outer carton thereof .

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to fish that is landed directly from fishing vessels.

(3) For the purpose of section 6(2)(g) of the Act, a licensee shall ensure that any meat product or fish product to be exported by him is packaged and labelled in accordance with the requirements of the country to which the meat product or fish product is to be exported.

(4) Where a licensee to whom paragraph (1) applies fails to comply with that paragraph —

(a)

he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000; and

(b)

the Director or a veterinary public health officer may, as the case requires —

(i)	take such measures as may be necessary to ensure that no part of the meat product or fish product imported by the licensee is sold or distributed; or
(ii)	cause the meat product or fish product to be destroyed or removed from Singapore,

and recover any costs and expenses reasonably incurred by him from the licensee.

Export health certificate

8.—(1) Any licensee who requires an export health certificate for the export of any consignment of meat products or fish products may apply to the Director or a veterinary public health officer for the issue to him of the export health certificate.

(2) Any application under paragraph (1) shall be in such form as the Director may require and shall be accompanied by —

(a)	a written document from a competent authority of the country to which the consignment is to be exported specifying the import requirements of that country; and
(b)	the appropriate fee.

(3) Upon receiving an application for an export health certificate, the Director or the veterinary public health officer shall examine the consignment to be exported or cause the consignment to be examined by an authorised examiner and shall issue the export health certificate to the applicant only if —

(a)	the examination reveals that the consignment is fit for human consumption; and
(b)	the import requirements of the country to which the consignment is intended to be exported are complied with.

Offences to be compoundable

9. 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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