Bill Passed in Parliament to Transfer Product Safety and Legal Metrology Functions from Enterprise Singapore Board to CCCS

The Competition (Amendment) Bill (“Bill“) was introduced for First Reading in Parliament on 5 March 2025, and was introduced for Second Reading and passed on 8 April 2025. The Bill will:

1. amend a range of legislation, including: (i) the Competition Act 2004; (ii) the Enterprise Singapore Board Act 2018; (iii) the Consumer Protection (Trade Descriptions and Safety Requirements) Act 1975 (“Consumer Protection Act“); and (iv) the Weights and Measures Act 1975 (“Weights and Measures Act“); and

2. transfer product safety and legal metrology functions from the Enterprise Singapore Board (“ESB“) to the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS“), thus transferring regulatory oversight for consumer protection from ESB and consolidating this with CCCS.

For background, consumer protection has always been a priority enforced by both CCCS and ESB:

1. CCCS – fair trading: Since assuming the fair trading function from then-SPRING Singapore (the government agency that was merged with International Enterprise Singapore to form ESB) in 2018, CCCS has deepened its expertise and become a key pillar underpinning Singapore’s consumer protection ecosystem, responsible for promoting fair trading practices among suppliers and consumers, and enabling consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. Currently, CCCS enforces consumer protection to a limited extent as the administering agency of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 (“CPFTA“), which seeks to protect consumers against unfair practices and to empower consumers to seek civil redress against unfair trade practices in Singapore. CCCS has the power to conduct investigations against retailers that engage in unfair trade practices and file injunction applications with courts to ensure that errant retailers cease errant conduct; and

2. ESB – product safety and legal metrology: The consumer product safety and legal metrology functions are related aspects of consumer protection that focus on upholding the safety of products and fair trade measurements. These functions are currently administered by ESB’s Consumer Product Safety Office (“CPSO“) and Weights and Measures Office (“WMO“), respectively. In this regard, CPSO, an office overseen by ESB, currently administers the Consumer Protection Act and its subsidiary legislation, which seek to ensure that consumer products supplied in Singapore are safe for use and comply with applicable safety standards. Matters relating to product safety (including product recalls) currently fall within the purview of CPSO and ESB. ESB, through WMO, is also the administering agency of the Weights and Measures Act, which seeks to enforce the use of uniform weights and measures throughout Singapore.

Following the passing of the Bill, CCCS will take over the following product safety and legal metrology functions of ESB, together with the assets, liabilities and records relating to these functions:

1. promoting among suppliers in Singapore and educating consumers on: (i) the supply of safe consumer goods and the provision of relevant safety information about them; and (ii) legal metrology;
2. preventing the supply of unsafe consumer goods in Singapore;
3. administering and enforcing the Weights and Measures Act;
4. acting internationally as the national body representative of Singapore in respect of: (i) promoting and enforcing the supply of safe consumer goods in Singapore and the provision of relevant safety information about them; and (ii) legal metrology; and
5. advising the Government, public authorities and consumer protection organisations on national needs and policies in respect of these matters.

The Bill will grant CCCS greater powers including: (i) a consolidated remit for the enforcement of consumer protection matters, as it takes over ESB’s power to enforce and make regulations under the Consumer Protection Act; and (ii) to enter into memoranda of understanding with persons in or outside of Singapore for the purpose of performing its functions or discharging its duties (which include consumer protection).

Effectively, CCCS will have a broader consumer protection remit (e.g. on advertising and marketing of consumer products, product labelling issues, and product recall). The transfer will consolidate functions which are synergistic to CCCS and strengthen its mandate by enhancing its oversight of consumer protection issues. This further complements CCCS’ existing remit of enforcement against unfair practices under the CPFTA, and better positions CCCS to holistically address issues relating to unfair trading, product safety and legal metrology, thereby enhancing its ability to safeguard consumer interests.

Given the expanded scope of CCCS’ consumer protection powers and the heightened enforcement climate for consumer protection in Singapore, businesses and consumer goods suppliers should carefully assess their go-to-market strategies (e.g. how products are marketed, the information provided on product packaging or in-box documentation, etc). For more information and commercial takeaways, please see our March 2025 Legal Update titled “Bill Introduced in Parliament to Transfer Product Safety and Legal Metrology Functions from Enterprise Singapore Board to CCCS”.

Click on the following link for more information:

• CCCS Press Release titled “Transfer Of Product Safety And Legal Metrology Functions From Enterprise Singapore To The Competition And Consumer Commission Of Singapore” (available on the CCCS website at cccs.gov.sg)