Singapore legislation
Section 5
of Gas Act 2001
Section 5
Restriction on disclosure of confidential information
(1)
This section applies if —
any information or document is given by a person to the Authority under this Act (other than Part 9); and
at the time such information or document is given, the person giving it notifies the Authority in writing that it is of a confidential or commercially sensitive nature.
(2)
The Authority must not disclose to any person the information or the contents of a document to which this section applies unless —
the Authority is of the opinion that —
the disclosure of the information or the contents of the document would not cause detriment to the person supplying it or to any other person who is aware of the information or document; or
although the disclosure of the information or the contents of the document would cause detriment to the person supplying it or to any other person who is aware of the information or the contents of the document, the public benefit in disclosing outweighs that detriment;
the Authority gives written notice to —
the person who supplied the information or document; and
any other person whom the Authority is aware has supplied the information or document to the person referred to in sub‑paragraph (i), where the identity of such other person is known to the Authority,stating that the Authority wishes to disclose the information or contents of the document, specifying the nature of the intended disclosure and detailed reasons why the Authority wishes to make the disclosure and setting out a copy of this section; and
no appeal is made to the Minister under subsection (3) within 7 days of the date of the giving of the notice.
(3)
A person aggrieved by a notice under subsection (2)(b) may appeal to the Minister under section 93(1)(a) within 7 days of the date of the giving of the notice.
(4)
Subsection (2) does not prevent the Authority from disclosing any information or the contents of any document —
to any member, officer or employee of the Authority or any agent, consultant, committee or panel acting for or under the direction of the Authority;
to the Minister or any agent, consultant, committee or panel acting for or under the direction of the Minister;
to an Appeal Panel;
when required to do so by any court or under this Act or any other written law; or
for the purposes of any criminal proceedings.
(5)
For the purposes of this section, the disclosure of any information or the contents of a document already in the public domain at the time the Authority wishes to disclose it cannot cause detriment to any person referred to in subsection (2)(a).