5. Competent authority

The Minister may appoint any person or persons as the Minister thinks fit to be the competent authority or authorities responsible for the operation of this Act, either generally or for any particular Part or provision of this Act or for any particular rules made under this Act, and may in the notification specify the extent of and manner in which that responsibility is to be exercised.

An appointment under subsection (1) must be published in the Gazette.

The functions conferred on the competent authority by this Act may be performed by any officer mentioned in subsection (3) who has been generally or specially authorised by name or office by the competent authority, and subject to the competent authority’s direction and control.

The competent authority may authorise any of the following persons to perform all or any of the competent authority’s functions conferred by this Act:

Without affecting subsections (2) and (3), the competent authority may, with the approval of the Minister, authorise generally or specially any person to perform any or all of the functions conferred on the competent authority by sections 27 and 31, subject to the direction and control of the competent authority.

Any officer or person who is authorised (whether generally or specially) under subsection (2) or (4) to perform the functions of the competent authority under this Act is deemed to be —