ELECTRICAL WORKERS AND CONTRACTORS LICENSING (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister for Education (Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam)(for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Bill proposes to amend the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Act (Chapter 89 of the Revised Edition) to increase the maximum fine provided for under sections 6(3), 10 and 13(e) from $2,000 to $5,000.

The original Act came into operation in 1975, and deals with the licensing of electrical workers and contractors in order to maintain a high standard of safety in all the electrical works they carry out.

Sections 6 and 10 deal with serious offences relating to electrical safety, namely:

a) carrying out electrical works or holding oneself out as a licensed electrical worker or contractor without a licence from the PUB;

b) making unauthorized connections or tampering with the PUB electrical system; and

c) obtaining a licence by giving false information. The maximum fine has been unchanged since 1974, and needs to be revised. The revision will also bring the penalties in line with the penalties for similar or related offences under the Public Utilities Act.

Section 13(e) spells out the maximum fine for offences under the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Regulations. The Bill proposes to similarly update it to $5,000.

Finally, Sir, the opportunity is also taken to add a new section 14 to allow the Public Utilities Board to compound offences under the Act and to retain the composition fees.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.