Weights and Measures Act 1975 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 3 · Weighing and Measuring for Trade
8. Approved patterns of instruments for use for trade
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Any importer or manufacturer who intends, in the course of any trade or business, to supply in Singapore any weighing or measuring instrument to which section 7 applies must —
supply
“supply”, in relation to a weighing or measuring instrument, includes —(a)selling the weighing or measuring instrument, whether by wholesale or retail or otherwise;(b)supplying the weighing or measuring instrument by way of exchange, lease, loan, hire or hire-purchase;(c)supplying the weighing or measuring instrument, whether with or without charge, by way of sample or otherwise;(d)offering or exposing the weighing or measuring instrument for sale or supply; and(e)keeping or having the weighing or measuring instrument for the purpose of selling or supplying it to someone else;
submit in the manner that the Controller may require the pattern of that instrument to the Controller for examination, together with any fee that may be prescribed; and
obtain from the Controller a letter of pattern approval signifying the suitability of that instrument for use for trade.
Any importer or manufacturer who, in the course of any trade or business, supplies in Singapore any weighing or measuring instrument in respect of which a letter of pattern approval from the Controller has not been obtained shall be guilty of an offence.
weighing or measuring instrument
“weighing or measuring instrument” means an instrument for measuring in terms of length, area, volume, capacity, weight or number, whether or not the instrument is constructed to give an indication of the measurement made or other information determined by reference to that measurement, and includes any article used as a weighing or measuring instrument.
Upon receipt of the pattern of a weighing or measuring instrument and any prescribed fee under subsection (1), the Controller must, in the manner that may be prescribed, examine the suitability for use for trade of the pattern of the weighing or measuring instrument, having regard in particular to the principle, materials and methods used or proposed to be used in its construction.
Controller
“Controller” means the Controller of Weights and Measures appointed under section 29 and includes any officer duly authorised by the Controller to act on his or her behalf;
If, upon completion of the examination under subsection (3), the Controller is satisfied that the weighing or measuring instrument examined is suitable for use for trade, then, subject to section 9(2), the Controller —
use for trade
“use for trade” means, subject to subsection (2), use in Singapore in connection with, or with a view to, a transaction for —(a)the transferring or rendering of money or money’s worth in consideration of money or money’s worth; or(b)the making of a payment in respect of any toll or duty,where —(c)the transaction is by reference to quantity or is a transaction for the purposes of which there is made or implied a statement of the quantity of goods to which the transaction relates; and(d)the use is for the purpose of the determination or statement of that quantity.(2) Subsection (1) does not apply where —(a)the determination or statement is a determination or statement of the quantity of goods required for despatch to a destination outside Singapore; and(b)no transfer or rendering of money or money’s worth is involved other than the passing of the title to the goods and the consideration therefor.(3) Any weighing or measuring instrument which is made available in Singapore for use by the public, whether on payment or otherwise, is to be treated for the purposes of this Part as weighing or measuring instrument in use for trade, whether or not it would apart from this subsection be so treated. For the purposes of this Act,
must issue a letter of pattern approval of that pattern and cause particulars thereof to be published; and
may from time to time thereafter authorise any minor modifications thereof that he or she thinks fit and cause particulars of those modifications to be published.
The requirements of subsection (4) as to the publication of the particulars of any pattern or modification do not apply where the letter of pattern approval is issued subject to a condition that is mentioned in subsection (6).
A letter of pattern approval issued under subsection (4) may be granted subject to a condition that, except with the Controller’s consent, the weighing or measuring instrument of the pattern approval in question must be used for trade only for a specified period or a specified purpose.
Any person who, knowing that a condition mentioned in subsection (6) has been imposed with respect to any weighing or measuring instrument —
uses, or causes or permits any other person to use, that instrument in contravention of that condition; or
disposes of that instrument to any other person in a state in which it could be used for trade without informing that other person of that condition,shall be guilty of an offence and the instrument shall be liable to be forfeited.
The Controller, after consultation with any person appearing to the Controller to be interested that the Controller thinks fit, may at any time revoke any letter of pattern approval or authorisation granted under this section, and must cause notice of the revocation to be published.
Where the Controller has revoked any letter of pattern approval or authorisation under subsection (8), any person who, knowing that the letter of pattern approval or authorisation has been revoked, and except as may be permitted by any fresh letter of pattern approval or authorisation granted in respect thereof —
uses for trade, or has in the person’s possession for such use, or causes or permits any other person so to use, any weighing or measuring instrument of the pattern or incorporating the modification in question; or
disposes of any such instrument to any other person in a state in which it could be so used without informing that other person of the revocation,shall be guilty of an offence and the instrument shall be liable to be forfeited.
Any weighing or measuring instrument of a pattern in respect of which a letter of pattern approval has been granted under this section may, and in the cases that may be prescribed, must, be marked in the manner that may be prescribed so as to identify it with the pattern in question.