Singapore legislation

Clause 45

Powers to inquire and verify information, etc.

(1)

The powers under this section may be exercised only for the purpose of inquiring into or ascertaining —

(a)

the truth or correctness of any statement made, or of any information given, by a person who applies or has applied for an incentive, a grant, a loan or any other financial benefit given or administered by, the Board;

(b)

whether any incentive, grant, loan or any other financial benefit given or administered by the Board has been properly applied by the person to whom the incentive, grant, loan or financial benefit is given;

(c)

the truth or correctness of any statement made, or of any information given, by a person in relation to the person’s application for accreditation or certification by the Board; (d)whether the use of an accreditation mark, a certification mark, or a report or certificate issued by or on behalf of the Board is in accordance with the conditions, if any, of the accreditation mark, certification mark, report or certificate; or

(e)

whether any provision of this Act is being or has been contravened.

(2)

The Board, an officer of the Board duly authorised by the Chief Executive for the purposes of this section, or an inspector may, at any reasonable time, do any of the following, without involving any search of any property or person:

(a)

enter and inspect any premises;

(b)

photograph or film, or make audio recordings or make sketches of, any part of the premises or anything at the premises;

(c)

require any person to furnish or grant access to, without charge, any document or information reasonably required for any purpose in subsection (1);

(d)

inspect and make copies of or take extracts from any such document;

(e)

take possession of such a document if, in the opinion of the Board, the officer or the inspector —

(i)

the inspection or copying of, or extraction from, the document cannot reasonably be performed without taking possession;

(ii)

the document may be interfered with or destroyed unless possession is taken; or

(iii)

the document may be required as evidence in any proceedings instituted or commenced for any of the purposes of, or in connection with, this Act;

(f)

require any person to complete and deliver any return specified within the time specified in the notice;

(g)

take samples where the Board, the officer or the inspector has reason to believe that there is any product or process —

(i)

in respect of which an accreditation mark, a certification mark or a colourable imitation of the accreditation mark or certification mark is being used in contravention of this Act; or

(ii)

which a person claims to be in conformity with a Singapore Standard when in fact it is not.

(3)

The power to require a person to furnish any document or information under subsection (2)(c) includes the power —

(a)

to require the person, or any person who is or was an officer or employee of that person, to provide an explanation of the document or information;

(b)

if the document or information is not furnished, to require the person to state, to the best of the person’s knowledge and belief, where it is; and

(c)

if the information is recorded otherwise than in legible form, to require the information to be made available to the Board in legible form.

(4)

The Board, an officer of the Board duly authorised by the Chief Executive or an inspector may exercise the powers under subsection (2) to inquire into —

(a)

any offence committed or allegedly committed under the International Enterprise Singapore Board Act; or

(b)

any offence committed or allegedly committed under the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board Act.

Read in full context — Enterprise Singapore Board Bill →