Section 29J — Revocation of licences, etc.

(1)Subject to subsection (3), the Commissioner of Building Control may by order revoke any general builder’s licence or specialist builder’s licence if he or she is satisfied that —

(a)the licensee fails to comply with any of the relevant requirements of section 29H(1) or (3) or 29I(1) or (5), as the case may be;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(b)the licensee has failed to comply with any condition imposed by the Commissioner of Building Control under subsection (2)(e) or section 29I(6);[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024] (ba) the licensee has contravened a direction under subsection (2)(d);[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(c)for a period exceeding 28 days, the licensee ceases to, or ceases to have the individual required under section 29I(2) or (3), personally supervise the execution and performance of any general building works or specialist building works in Singapore undertaken by the licensee;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(d)the licence had been obtained by fraud or misrepresentation;

(e)the licensee has ceased to carry on business as a general builder or specialist builder (as the case may be) in Singapore;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(f)the licensee has been declared bankrupt or has gone into compulsory or voluntary liquidation other than for the purpose of amalgamation or reconstruction;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(g)the licensee has been convicted of an offence under this Act;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(h)the conduct of any director, manager or employee of the corporation, or any partner or employee of the partnership, that is a licensee provides grounds for believing that the corporation or partnership (as the case may be) will not carry on the business of a general builder or specialist builder (as the case may be) in Singapore in accordance with any written law and with honesty and integrity;[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(i)the public interest or national security of Singapore so requires; or

(j)the licensee has refused or failed to comply with an order of the Commissioner of Building Control made under subsection (2)(b) or (d).[47/2007] [Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(2)The Commissioner of Building Control may, in any case in which he or she considers that no cause of sufficient gravity for revoking any general builder’s licence or specialist builder’s licence exists, by order —

(a)suspend the licence for a period not exceeding 6 months;

(b)impose on the licensee concerned a financial penalty not exceeding $20,000 where the ground for doing so is subsection (1)(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (h) or (j);[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(c)censure the licensee concerned; [Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(d)direct that, for a period specified by the Commissioner of Building Control, the licensee —

(i)must not enter into or undertake any contract or engagement to carry out all or any general building works or specialist building works; or

(ii)may enter into or undertake any further contract or engagement to carry out any general building works or specialist building works, provided that the value of the further contracts or engagements must not exceed an amount specified in the order; or[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(e)modify the conditions of the licence, immediately or upon renewal of the licence in question.[47/2007] [Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(3)The Commissioner of Building Control must not exercise his or her powers under subsection (1) or (2) unless an opportunity of being heard by a representative in writing or by counsel had been given to the licensee against which the Commissioner of Building Control intends to exercise its powers, being a period of not more than 14 days.[47/2007] [Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(4)Where the Commissioner of Building Control has revoked a licence under this section, he or she must serve on the former licensee concerned a notice of the order made under this section.[47/2007] [Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024] [Act 15 of 2026 wef 01/07/2026]

(5)Any order by the Commissioner of Building Control revoking or suspending a licence, or imposing a financial penalty, direction or restriction does not take effect until the expiry of 14 days after the Commissioner of Building Control has served the order on the licensee concerned.[47/2007] [Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(6)Where the licensee concerned has appealed under section 29K to the Minister against an order by the Commissioner of Building Control under this section, the order does not take effect unless the order is confirmed by the Minister or the appeal is for any reason dismissed by the Minister or withdrawn.[47/2007] [Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(7)Where an order of revocation becomes effective —

(a)the Commissioner of Building Control must cause notice of the revocation to be published in the Gazette; and[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(b)the former licensee concerned must, as from the date of the notice, cease to carry on business as a general builder or specialist builder (as the case may be) in Singapore except as the Commissioner of Building Control may approve.[47/2007] [Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(8)Subsection (7)(b) does not prejudice the enforcement by any person of any right or claim against the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership or by the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership of any right or claim against any person.[47/2007]

(9)In any proceedings under this section in relation to the conviction of a licensee for a criminal offence, the Commissioner of Building Control is to accept the conviction as final and conclusive.[47/2007] [Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(10)A licensed general builder or licensed specialist builder that enters into or undertakes any contract or engagement to carry out any building works in contravention of a direction made under subsection (2)(d) is not entitled to recover any charge, fee or remuneration under such a contract or engagement.[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]

(11)A direction made under subsection (2)(d) continues to have effect despite the renewal of the licence held by the licensee under section 29E(6).[Act 12 of 2020 wef 15/06/2024]