Compensation, damages, fees, costs and expenses to be determined by Magistrate’s Court or District Court
89.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, in all cases when compensation, damages, fees, costs and expenses are by this Act directed to be paid, the amount and (if necessary) the apportionment of the same and any question of liability is, in case of dispute or failure to pay, to be summarily ascertained and determined by a Magistrate’s Court or, if the amount exceeds $10,000, by a District Court.
(2) If the amount of compensation, damages, fees, costs or expenses is not paid by the party liable to pay the same within 14 days after demand, that amount may be reported to a Magistrate’s Court and recovered in the same manner as if it were a fine imposed by a Magistrate’s Court.
(3) An appeal lies to the General Division of the High Court from any decision of a Magistrate’s Court or District Court under this section, and the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 apply, with the necessary modifications, to the appeal.[40/2019]
Damage to property of Agency and Singapore Food Agency to be made good in addition to penalty
90.—(1) If through any act, neglect or default (on account whereof any person has incurred any penalty under this Act) any damage to Agency property or property of the Singapore Food Agency (as the case may be) is committed by that person, that person shall be liable to make good the damage as well as to pay the penalty.[11/2019]
(2) The amount of the damage is, in case of dispute, to be determined by the court by which the person incurring the penalty was convicted.
(3) The amount of the damage is to be recovered as if it were a fine imposed by the court.
Payment of fees, etc.
91.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), section 31N and regulations made under section 42A, all fees, charges and moneys collected under this Act are payable to the Agency.[16/2016; 48/2018; 11/2019]
[Act 7 of 2025 wef 28/11/2025]
(2) Any fee, charge or money collected under this Act may be paid to a person other than the Agency where the Agency has, with the approval of the Minister, made regulations under section 111 providing for that fee, charge or money to be payable to that person instead.[16/2016]
(3) This section does not apply to composition sums in section 104 or financial penalties imposed under section 80K or 99.[16/2016]
Recovery of costs and expenses payable by owners
92.—(1) If any sum payable by or recoverable from the owner or occupier in respect of costs and expenses incurred by the Agency in the execution of any work which is, under this Act, recoverable from the owner or occupier of any premises is not paid by the owner or occupier within 14 days after demand that sum may be reported to a Magistrate’s Court or District Court and recovered in the same manner as if it were a fine imposed by a Magistrate’s Court or District Court, as the case may be.
(2) The person liable to pay any sum under subsection (1) is the owner at the time when the work was completed.
(3) Any occupier who, when requested by or on behalf of the Director‑General to state the name of the owner of the premises, refuses or wilfully omits to disclose or wilfully misstates the name of the owner shall, unless he or she shows cause to the satisfaction of the Magistrate’s Court or the District Court for his or her refusal or misstatement, be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500.
Recovery of costs and expenses by instalments
93.—(1) When the Director‑General has incurred costs and expenses in or about the execution of any work, which are, under this Act, payable by or recoverable from the owner or occupier, the Director‑General may —(a)
recover the costs and expenses in the manner provided in this Act; or
(b)
if he or she thinks fit, obtain an undertaking from the owner or occupier for the payment by any instalments that will be sufficient to defray the whole amount of the costs and expenses.
(2) Upon default in payment of any instalment upon the date appointed for payment of the instalment by the undertaking, the whole of the balance then outstanding of the amount immediately becomes due and payable and, despite any change in the ownership or occupation of the premises since the date of the undertaking, may be recovered by the same means and in the like manner as provided in section 92.
Liability of transferor of property in respect of costs and expenses incurred by Director-General
94.—(1) Where a person sells or transfers any property in respect of which costs and expenses have been incurred by the Director‑General in or about the execution of any work required to be done under this Act and the costs and expenses are recoverable under this Act from the owner of that property, that person continues to be liable for the payment of all the costs and expenses payable in respect of the property and for the performance of all other obligations imposed by this Act upon the owner of the property which became payable or were required to be performed prior to the transfer.
(2) Nothing in this section affects the liability of the purchaser or transferee to pay the costs and expenses in respect of the property or the right of the Director‑General to recover the costs and expenses or to perform any obligations under this Act.
Limitation of liability to fines and penalties
95. Except in any case where by reason of the act or omission complained of, an injury or danger to health subsists at the date of the complaint, no person shall be liable to any fine or penalty under this Act for any offence under this Act unless the complaint respecting the offence is made within 3 years after the date of the commission of such offence.[Act 5 of 2023 wef 01/07/2023]
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
