Fire Safety Bill

This Act may be cited as the Fire Safety Act 1993 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

The Minister may appoint different dates for the coming into operation of the different provisions of this Act.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“building” has the same meaning as in the Building Control Act [Cap. 29];

“building works” has the same meaning as in the Building Control Act;

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Civil Defence appointed under section 6 of the Civil Defence Act [Cap. 42];

“fire hazard” means any matter or circumstance which materially increases the likelihood of fire or the danger to life or property that would result from the outbreak of fire and includes —

“fire protection system” includes any installation, equipment or works manufactured, used or designed to be used for the purposes of —

“fire protection works” means the provision, extension or alteration of any fire protection system;

“fire safety measures” includes any installation, equipment or works manufactured, used or designed to be used for the purposes of —

“fire safety works” means any fire protection works, fire safety measures or minor works;

“Force” has the same meaning as in the Civil Defence Act [Cap. 42];

“member” has the same meaning as in the Civil Defence Act and includes any public officer serving in the Force as engineering or technical staff;

“minor works” means —

“occupier”, in relation to any premises, means the person in occupation of any premises or having the charge, management or control thereof and, in relation to any part of any premises different parts of which are occupied by different persons, means the person in occupation or having the charge, management or control of that part;

“officer” has the same meaning as in the Civil Defence Act [Cap. 42] and includes any public officer serving in the Force as engineering or technical officer;

“owner” —

“place of public resort” means a building or a defined or enclosed place used or constructed or adapted to be used either ordinarily or occasionally as a church, chapel, mosque, temple or other place where public worship is or religious ceremonies are performed, not being merely a dwelling-house so used, or as a cinema, theatre, public hall, public concert room, public ballroom, public lecture room, or public exhibition room, club, association, restaurant, hotel, coffee house, eating house or milk bar, or as a public place of assembly for persons admitted thereto by ticket or otherwise or used or constructed or adapted to be used either ordinarily or occasionally for any other public purpose;

“premises” includes messuages, houses, buildings, lands, tenements, easements and hereditaments of any tenure, whether open or enclosed, whether built or not, whether public or private, and whether or not maintained under statutory authority;

“public building” means a building or part thereof used or constructed or adapted to be used as a shop, office, hospital or place of public resort, not being a church, chapel, mosque, temple or other place where public worship is or religious ceremonies are performed;

“qualified person” means a person who is registered as —

“registered inspector” means a person who is registered as a registered inspector under section 5;

“street” has the same meaning as in the Local Government Integration Act [Cap. 166].

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to a building includes a reference to a part of a building.

The powers conferred and the duties imposed on the Commissioner under this Act and any regulations made thereunder may be exercised and carried out by any of the following persons generally or specially authorised by name or office by the Commissioner and subject to his directions:

Subject to the directions of the Commissioner, the powers conferred and the duties imposed on the Commissioner under the provisions of Part IV relating to the approving of plans of fire safety works and any regulations made under this Act necessary for carrying out or giving effect to those provisions may also be exercised and carried out by any qualified person who is —

The Commissioner may authorise any qualified person in writing to carry out the duties and responsibilities or exercise all or any of the powers of the Commissioner under this Act or any regulations made thereunder subject to subsection (4) and such conditions or limitations as the Commissioner may specify.

The duties, responsibilities and powers which the Commissioner may authorise any qualified person to carry out or exercise under subsection (3) shall be such as may be approved by the Minister in writing.

Any qualified person who is generally or specially authorised under subsection (2) or (3) to carry out the duties and responsibilities or exercise all or any of the powers of the Commissioner under this Act or any regulations made thereunder shall be deemed to be —

The Commissioner shall keep and maintain a register (referred to in this section and section 5 as the register of registered inspectors) in which shall be entered the names and prescribed particulars of all persons registered under section 5 as registered inspectors.

The register of registered inspectors shall be kept and maintained at the office of the Commissioner and shall be available for inspection by any person without charge at such time as that office is open for business.

An application for registration as a registered inspector shall be made in such manner and shall be accompanied by such documents and particulars as may be prescribed.

No person shall be registered as a registered inspector unless he can satisfy the Commissioner that he possesses the prescribed qualifications and practical experience.

Without prejudice to subsection (2), the Commissioner may refuse to register as a registered inspector an applicant who, in his opinion, is not of good character and reputation or unable to carry out the duties and responsibilities of a registered inspector under this Act or any regulations made thereunder.

The Commissioner may appoint a committee of persons to assist him in considering applications for registration as registered inspectors.

Where the Commissioner has registered a person as a registered inspector, the Commissioner shall issue to the person a certificate of registration.

The Commissioner may cancel the registration of a registered inspector —

Where the Commissioner cancels the registration of a registered inspector under subsection (6), he shall remove the name and particulars of the person from the register of registered inspectors and cancel any certificate of registration issued to the person under subsection (5) and the person shall, within 14 days of being notified of the removal, surrender to the Commissioner the certificate of registration and, if the person fails to do so, he shall be guilty of an offence.

Any person whose application for registration as a registered inspector is refused, or who is dissatisfied with the decision of the Commissioner under subsection (6), may, within 14 days of being notified in writing of the refusal or the decision, appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

Any person whose name has been removed from the register of registered inspectors under subsection (6)(b), (c), (d) or (e) shall, if his appeal to the Minister is allowed, be forthwith reinstated.

At the time of carrying out the duties and responsibilities or exercising all or any of the powers of the Commissioner under this Act or any regulations made thereunder as may be authorised by the Commissioner under section 3(3) or any regulations made under this Act, a registered inspector shall have no professional or financial interest in the building or any part thereof or in the building or fire safety works in respect of which the duties and responsibilities or powers are to be carried out or exercised.

A registered inspector shall be regarded as having a professional or financial interest in the building or any part thereof or in the building or fire safety works if —

For the purposes of this Act —

For the purposes of this Act —

In this section, “fire safety works” means fire protection works, minor works and the installation of fire safety measures in building works.

Any person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence.

Subject to this section, the Commissioner or any member of the Force authorised by him in writing on producing, if so required, an authenticated document showing his authority shall have a right to enter any premises at all reasonable hours for the purpose of —

The Commissioner or any person authorised by him in writing shall not exercise the right of entry conferred by this section in respect of such premises as are not a place of public entertainment or public assembly, factory, workshop or workplace nor premises otherwise used for business purposes, unless 24 hours’ notice in writing of the intended entry has been given to the occupier.

Upon giving 7 days’ notice in writing to the owner or occupier of any property situate in the vicinity of a fire-hydrant or water supply, the Commissioner may thereafter cause a plate indicating the location of such fire-hydrant or water supply to be fixed to any part of the property as may, in the opinion of the Commissioner, be best suited to indicate such location.

Any person who refuses to allow the fixing of any such plate referred to in subsection (1) or obstructs any person in the course of the fixing thereof or removes or defaces any such plate after it has been so fixed shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

Any person who —

Any person convicted of an offence under subsection (1)(b) shall, in addition to the fine imposed on him under that subsection, also be liable to pay compensation to the Public Utilities Board for any expenses reasonably incurred in repairing or replacing such fire-hydrant.

Any person who knowingly gives or causes to be given a false alarm of fire to the Force or to the police shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to both.

For the purposes of this section, “false alarm of fire” includes a false call for the ambulance or other services provided by the Force.

No premises shall, except in accordance with a licence granted by the Commissioner, be used by any person for any of the trades or purposes specified in the First Schedule.

The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, amend the First Schedule.

Any person who uses or permits to be used any premises without a licence for any of the trades or purposes specified in the First Schedule or who contravenes any of the terms or conditions of a licence shall be guilty of an offence.

Where the Commissioner is satisfied that any premises have been or are being used in contravention of subsection (1), he may enter the premises and seize any movable property by means of or in respect of which an offence under this section has been or is being committed or which contains evidence of such an offence and which is found therein.

Every licence granted under section 31 shall be subject to such terms or conditions as the Commissioner thinks fit to impose.

Every licence granted under section 31, if it has not been revoked under section 33, may, on the application of the holder of the licence, be renewed by the Commissioner subject to such terms or conditions as he thinks fit to impose.

Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of the Commissioner under subsection (1) or (2) may, within one month of being notified of the decision of the Commissioner, appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

Every licence shall, on payment of the prescribe fees, be valid for such period as the Commissioner may determine.

The Commissioner may by order at any time suspend or revoke any licence granted under section 31 if he considers it in the public safety to do so.

A licence shall not be suspended for a period exceeding 6 months.

The Commissioner shall, before suspending or revoking any licence under subsection (1), give to the person concerned notice in writing of his intention to do so specifying a date, not less than 21 days after the notice, upon which the suspension or revocation shall take effect and calling upon the person concerned to show cause to the Commissioner why the licence should not be suspended or revoked.

When the Commissioner has suspended or revoked the licence under subsection (1), he shall forthwith inform the person concerned by notice in writing of the suspension or revocation.

The person whose licence has been suspended or revoked may, within 14 days of the receipt of the notice referred to in subsection (4), or such extended period of time as the Minister may allow, appeal in writing against the suspension or revocation to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

An order of suspension or revocation shall not take effect until the expiration of a period of 14 days after the Commissioner has informed the licensee concerned of the order.

If within that period the licensee concerned gives due notice of appeal to the Minister, the order shall not take effect unless the order is confirmed by the Minister or the appeal is for any reason dismissed by the Minister.

The Commissioner may, if satisfied of the existence in or on any premises of any fire hazard, serve —

Where the person by reason of whose act, default or sufferance a fire hazard arose or continues cannot be found and it is clear that the fire hazard neither arose nor continues by reason of any act, default or sufferance on the part of the occupier or owner of the premises in or on which it exists, the Commissioner may abate the hazard and may do what is necessary to prevent a recurrence thereof.

Where a fire hazard abatement notice is served on any person pursuant to subsection (1) and that person fails to comply with any of the requirements of the notice within the time specified therein, he shall, whether or not an order under section 16 has been made in respect of him, be guilty of an offence.

The Commissioner may, if he is satisfied of the matters specified in section 14 and that the safety of persons in the premises cannot reasonably be ensured by other means —

The Commissioner giving an order under subsection (1) shall do so —

The Commissioner may, if he considers that the danger to which an order given under subsection (1) relates has been alleviated, rescind that order.

Any police officer may, if requested by the Commissioner or an authorised officer to do so, assist the Commissioner or authorised officer in the exercise of any power conferred on the Commissioner by this section.

If the Commissioner or an authorised officer considers that a danger in relation to which he has exercised the power conferred on him by subsection (1) cannot be, or has not been, alleviated within a period of 72 hours referred to in that subsection, he shall, having given such prior notice of his intention to do so to the owner or occupier of the premises in question as is practicable in the circumstances, apply to a Magistrate’s Court for an order directing the owner or occupier to close or keep closed, as the case requires, that premises for such period as the Court considers necessary for the alleviation of that danger.

A Magistrate’s Court may, on an application made to the Court under subsection (5), grant, subject to such conditions as the Court thinks fit to impose, the order sought by that application.

If an application is made to a Magistrate’s Court under subsection (5) while the premises in question is closed under subsection (1), that closure shall continue until the application is finally determined or is withdrawn.

Any person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with any closing order granted by the Commissioner under subsection (1) or the order made by the Court under subsection (6) shall be guilty of an offence.

Where a fire hazard abatement notice is served on any person, and if —

A fire hazard order referred to in subsection (1) may be —

An abatement order or a prohibition order shall, if the person in respect of whom the order is made so requires or if the Magistrate’s Court making the order considers it desirable, specify the works to be executed by such person for the purpose of abating, or of preventing the recurrence of, the fire hazard to which the order relates.

A Magistrate’s Court if satisfied that any premises in respect of which a prohibition order or a closing order granted under section 15(6) or this section is in force has been rendered suitable for the use specified in the order may, on application by the Commissioner or the owner or occupier of the premises, declare that it is so satisfied and revoke the prohibition order or closing order.

Any person who without reasonable excuse contravenes a fire hazard order shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $500 for every day during which the default continues after conviction.

Without prejudice to subsection (5), where a fire hazard order has not been complied with, the Commissioner may abate the fire hazard and may do whatever may be necessary in the execution of the order, and may recover any expenses reasonably incurred thereby from the person against whom the order was made.

Where a person appeals to the High Court against a fire hazard order, no liability to a fine shall arise nor, except as mentioned in this section, shall any proceedings be taken or work done under such order until after the determination or abandonment of such appeal.

There shall be no appeal to the High Court against a fire hazard order, unless it is or includes a closing order or requires the execution of structural works.

Where a fire hazard order is made and a person does not comply with it and appeals against it to the High Court and the appeal is dismissed or is abandoned, the appellant shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500 for every day during the non-compliance with the order, unless he satisfies the court before which proceedings are taken for imposing a fine that there was substantial ground for the appeal and that the appeal was not brought merely for the purpose of delay and, where the appeal is heard by the High Court, the High Court may, on dismissing the appeal, impose the fine as if the High Court were the court before which proceedings were taken for imposition of the fine.

In the event of an appeal against a fire hazard order, no work, except as mentioned in subsection (5), shall be done pursuant to section 16(6) under the order until after the determination or abandonment of the appeal.

If the court by which the order was made is of the opinion that the nature of the fire hazard is such as to require immediate abatement, the court may, notwithstanding that the appeal is pending, authorise the Commissioner immediately to abate the hazard:Provided that —

Any property or materials seized or removed by the Commissioner in abating or doing what is necessary to prevent the recurrence of a fire hazard under this Act or in enforcing any regulations made thereunder, may be confiscated by the Commissioner or may, on application by the owner within two weeks of such seizure or removal, be returned to him on such terms and conditions as the Commissioner thinks fit.

Any property or materials confiscated by the Commissioner under subsection (1) may be sold or disposed of in such manner as the Minister may direct.

The money arising from the sale of any property under subsection (2) may be retained by the Commissioner and applied in payment of the expenses incurred by him in connection with the abatement of the fire hazard and the surplus, if any, shall be paid —

If all and any sums payable by or recoverable from the owner in respect of costs and expenses incurred by the Commissioner in or about the execution of any work which are under this Act recoverable from the owner of any premises are not paid by the owner within 14 days after demand, such sums may be reported to a Magistrate’s Court or a District Court and recovered in the same manner as if it were a fine imposed by a Magistrate’s Court or a District Court, as the case may be.

An appeal shall lie to the High Court from any decision of a Magistrate’s Court or a District Court under this section, and the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code [Cap. 68] shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to all such appeals.

The person liable to pay any sum under subsection (1) shall be the owner at the time when the work was completed.

Any occupier who, when requested by or on behalf of the Commissioner to state the name of the owner of the premises, refuses or wilfully omits to disclose or wilfully mis-states the same shall, unless he shows cause to the satisfaction of a Magistrate’s Court or a District Court for his refusal or mis-statement, be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

The Commissioner may by notice in writing require the owner or occupier of a public building having an occupant load of more than 200 persons to apply and obtain from the Commissioner a fire certificate.

No person shall occupy or use the building or part thereof or permit the building or part thereof to be occupied or used without a fire certificate authorising such occupation or use.

Such application shall be in accordance with the regulations made under this Act.

Any person to whom subsection (1) or (2) applies who contravenes subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence.

In this section, “occupant load” of a building means the total number of persons that may occupy such building at any one time.

The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, designate any premises or class of premises for which a fire emergency plan shall be provided.

Such plan shall conform to such requirements as may be prescribed in any regulations made under this Act.

The owner or occupier of the premises shall be responsible for the preparation and execution of the fire emergency plan, including the distribution of the emergency plan to the occupants of such premises.

The owner or occupier of the premises shall organise and conduct evacuation drills on an annual basis or at such frequency or upon such occasion as may be directed by the Commissioner.

Any person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence.

The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, specify any premises or class of premises in which the owner or occupier of the premises is required to appoint fire safety managers in respect of such premises or class of premises.

The owner or occupier of the premises shall ensure that the fire safety measures and fire safety practices of such premises comply with the regulations made under this Act and are of the standard specified by the Commissioner.

The fire safety manager of the premises shall assist the owner or occupier of the premises in the performance of his duties under this Act or any regulations made thereunder.

Any person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence.

Subject to the provisions of this Act, the person for whom any proposed fire safety works are to be commenced or carried out in any building shall apply in accordance with the regulations made under this Act to the Commissioner for approval of the plans of the fire safety works.

The Commissioner may —

If the person to whom any written direction is given under subsection (2) fails to comply with the requirements specified in the direction within the time specified therein, the Commissioner may reject the plans.

Except as otherwise provided in this Act or any regulations made thereunder, no person shall commence or carry out or permit or authorise the commencement or carrying out of any fire safety works in any building unless the Commissioner has approved all the plans of the fire safety works under section 23.

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 $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $1,000 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

Subject to the provisions of this Act, every person for whom any fire safety works are or are to be carried out shall appoint an appropriate qualified person in respect of those works and shall supply to the qualified person appointed under this subsection or subsection (2)(b) a copy of every plan of the fire safety works approved by the Commissioner.

If any qualified person appointed under subsection (1) or (2)(b) becomes unwilling or unable, whether by reason of the termination of his appointment or for any other reason, to carry out his duties under subsection (4) —

Where the person for whom any such works are or are to be carried out appoints an apropriate qualified person under subsection (2)(b), he shall, within 7 days of the appointment, notify the Commissioner of the appointment.

Every qualified person appointed under this section in respect of any fire safety works shall —

Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with subsection (1) or (2)(b) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $1,000 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

Any qualified person who contravenes or fails to comply with subsection (4) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $500 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction:Provided that it shall be a defence in any prosecution for a contravention or non-compliance with subsection (4)(b) for the person charged to prove to the satisfaction of the court that he did not know, nor could reasonably have discovered, the contravention or non-compliance referred to in the charge.

Any qualified person or person for whom any fire safety works are or are to be carried out, as the case may be, who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes or fails to comply with subsection (2)(a) or (3) shall be guilty of an offence.

Except as otherwise provided in this Act or any regulations made thereunder, no person shall commence or carry out any fire safety works except under the supervision of an appropriate qualified person appointed under section 25(1) or (2)(b).

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 $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $1,000 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

The Commissioner may, on receipt of an application in relation to any particular fire safety works, modify or waive, subject to such terms and conditions as he may impose, any of the requirements relating to fire safety in buildings as may be prescribed in any regulations made under this Act.

Every such application shall be made in writing to the Commissioner by or on behalf of the owner of the building to which the application relates and shall state the nature and extent of and the reasons for the proposed modification or waiver of such requirements and shall be accompanied by such plans and other particulars as may be prescribed.

Where an application made under subsection (2) is refused, or is granted by the Commissioner subject to such terms and conditions as he may impose, the applicant may, if aggrieved by the decision of the Commissioner, appeal in the prescribed form and manner together with payment of the prescribed fees to the Minister within 28 days of the date of notification of the decision.

Before making a decision under subsection (3), the Minister may refer the matter to an Appeal Advisory Board and, in making his decision, the Minister may have regard to any report made to him by the Appeal Advisory Board.

The decision of the Minister on such appeal shall be final.

The Appeal Advisory Board shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and such other members as the Minister may determine.

The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and members of the Appeal Advisory Board shall be appointed by the Minister for such period as the Minister may determine and may from time to time be reappointed, or may at any time be removed from office by the Minister, or may at any time resign from their office by writing addressed to the Minister.

At any meeting of the Board, 3 members shall constitute a quorum.

The Chairman or, in his absence, the Vice-Chairman shall preside at every meeting of the Board. In the absence of both the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman, such member as the members present may elect shall preside at the meeting.

Subject to the provisions of this Act and any regulations made thereunder, the Board may determine its own procedure.

Any person for whom any fire safety works had been carried out and completed shall apply to the Commissioner and obtain a fire safety certificate in respect of the completed fire safety works.

All applications under subsection (1) shall be made to the Commissioner in the form and manner prescribed in any regulations made under this Act.

The Commissioner may, on application by such person in the prescribed manner, in relation to any building or part thereof —

If the person to whom any written direction is given under subsection (3)(b) fails to comply with the requirements specified in the direction within the time specified therein, the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn.

Any person who fails to comply with this section or with any condition imposed by the Commissioner under subsection (3)(a) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $500 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

Any person who changes the use of a premises shall, if such change of use would cause the existing fire safety measures to become inadequate, prior to carrying out the change, apply to the Commissioner for approval to change the use of the premises.

All applications for permission to change the use of the premises shall be made to the Commissioner in the form and manner prescribed in any regulations made under this Act.

The Commissioner may, on application in the prescribed manner, in relation to any premises or part thereof —

If the person to whom any written direction under subsection (3)(b) fails to comply with the requirements specified in the direction within the time specified therein, the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn.

Any person who fails to comply with this section or with any condition imposed by the Commissioner under subsection (3)(a) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $500 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

Nothing in this section shall be taken in any way to derogate from the provisions of the Planning Act [Cap. 232] and any relevant rules made thereunder relating to change of use of premises.

“Class O petroleum” means liquefied petroleum gas;

“Class I petroleum” means any petroleum having a flashpoint of less than 23° celsius but does not include Class O petroleum;

“Class II petroleum” means any petroleum having a flashpoint of or exceeding 23° celsius but less than 61° celsius;

“dispensing” means transferring any class of petroleum from one container to any other container or containers for the purpose of distribution, through hose, pipe or by any other means and includes discharging into a motor vehicle or from the tank of a road tanker;

“flammable materials” includes —

“licensed premises” means any premises licensed for the storage of any class of petroleum under this Act;

“liquefied petroleum gas” means any material having a vapour pressure not exceeding that allowed for commercial propane and composed predominantly of the following hydrocarbons, either by themselves or as mixtures, that is to say, propane, propylene, butane (normal butane or iso-butane) and butylenes;

“petroleum” includes crude petroleum, liquefied petroleum gas and other naturally occurring hydrocarbon liquid derived from crude petroleum, coal, shale, peat or other bituminous substances;

“place” includes houses, yards and open spaces appurtenant thereto, buildings and footways and any underground space;

“transport” means to remove from any place to any other place within or without Singapore.

No person shall dispense or cause to be dispensed any class of petroleum at any place other than at a licensed premises.

Any licensed premises to be used for the dispensing of liquid petroleum gas into cylinders must be specifically approved for that purpose by the Commissioner who may impose additional requirements as he thinks fit.

The grant of any licence under this Part shall be in the absolute discretion of the Commissioner, and any such licence shall stipulate the quantity of each class of petroleum which may be stored in any premises or transported in any vehicle, as the case may be.

Every licence granted under this Part shall be subject to such conditions as the Commissioner thinks fit to impose.

Every licence granted under this Part, if it has not been cancelled under section 40, may, on the application of the holder of the licence, be renewed by the Commissioner subject to such conditions as he thinks fit to impose.

Every licence shall, on payment of the prescribed fees, be valid for such period not exceeding 3 years as the Commissioner may determine.

Any person who is aggrieved by any decision of the Commissioner under this section may, within one month of being notified of the decision of the Commissioner, appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

Any person who contravenes any of the conditions of a licence granted under this Part shall be guilty of an offence.

If at any time it appears to the Commissioner that any premises or vehicle, in respect of which a licence has been granted, has become unfit for the purpose for which it was licensed by reason of the increase of building or of population in its neighbourhood, or that from any other cause, any licence should for the public safety be cancelled, or if the person to whom the licence was granted contravenes any of the conditions of the licence, the Commissioner may by order cancel the licence.

The Commissioner shall, before cancelling any licence under subsection (1), give to the person concerned notice in writing of his intention to do so specifying a date, not less than 21 days after the notice, upon which the cancellation shall take effect and calling upon the person concerned to show cause to the Commissioner why the licence should not be cancelled.

When the Commissioner has cancelled the licence under subsection (1), he shall forthwith inform the person concerned by notice in writing of such cancellation.

The person whose licence has been cancelled may, within 14 days of the receipt of the notice referred to in subsection (3), or such extended period of time as the Minister may allow, appeal in writing against the cancellation to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

An order of cancellation shall not take effect until the expiration of a period of 14 days after the Commissioner has informed the licensee concerned of the order.