SPA INDUSTRY

SPA INDUSTRY: 10.

Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the Singapore Tourism Board's efforts to promote Singapore as a spa centre (a) what steps can be taken to protect the industry from getting a bad image because of unscrupulous spa operators; (b) will the Ministry take steps to ensure that these operators lodge deposits with a licensing authority before they are allowed to operate; and (c) how can consumers be protected against businesses which solicit for clients even though they know that the closure of their operations is imminent.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong):

(for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not trying to impersonate Rod Stewart or Louis Armstrong. Just that my voice has been affected by the flu in the last few days. As I sound like sand paper now, I beg the indulgence of the House to bear with me.

Sir, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) does not promote Singapore as a spa centre, it only profiles spa experiences as one of the many lifestyle options that visitors can enjoy in

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Singapore, alongside the myriad of retail, dining, attractions, events and entertainment offerings. STB is careful to profile spas with a proven track record that provide good service and a sound business model.

The recent spa incidents did not involve visitors, but local consumers who purchased prepaid packages to be used over a period of time. Sir, the best defence for consumers, as always, is to be vigilant and to also consider carefully before paying in advance for services.

At the same time, there are also measures to help consumers who often complain that they bought packages under pressure to make better choices. CASE has, with MTI’s support, recently launched the CaseTrust for Spa and Wellness Association Scheme to raise consumers’ awareness of spa standards and to put in place good business practices. These include giving customers a cooling-off period of at least five working days to seek refund of payments made for packages and also not to sell to customers during their spa treatments. So, we will study with CASE the feasibility of adding financial soundness as a criterion for the accreditation.

Consumer education and industry accreditation provide a balanced approach to safeguarding consumers’ interests. This is preferable in imposing new and onerous regulatory burdens on spa operators, which ultimately will translate into higher costs for consumers. We will monitor the situation and refine our approach further if necessary.