Statute Details
- Title: Environmental Public Health (Part IV Fees) Regulations 2019
- Act Code: EPHA1987-S275-2019
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Environmental Public Health Act (Chapter 95)
- Enacting Power: Section 42A of the Environmental Public Health Act
- Citation: Environmental Public Health (Part IV Fees) Regulations 2019
- Commencement: 1 April 2019
- Current Status (as provided): Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Key Provisions: Section 2 (licence fees); Section 3 (other fees); Section 4 (revocation); Schedule (fees)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Environmental Public Health (Part IV Fees) Regulations 2019 (“Fees Regulations”) is a Singapore subsidiary instrument that sets out the fees payable under Part IV of the Environmental Public Health Act (Chapter 95). In practical terms, it tells regulated parties how much they must pay to obtain or maintain licences and to cover other chargeable matters connected with Part IV of the Act.
Part IV of the Environmental Public Health Act is concerned with regulatory controls that support environmental public health outcomes. While the Fees Regulations do not themselves create substantive regulatory duties (those duties arise from the Environmental Public Health Act), they operationalise the regulatory framework by attaching monetary charges to the relevant licensing and administrative processes.
The Fees Regulations are also designed to ensure administrative consistency and clarity. By specifying fees in a Schedule and directing that those fees are payable to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the Regulations reduce uncertainty about payment obligations and help the regulator recover costs associated with licensing and related regulatory activities.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1: Citation and commencement provides the legal identity of the instrument and fixes its start date. The Regulations are cited as the “Environmental Public Health (Part IV Fees) Regulations 2019” and come into operation on 1 April 2019. For practitioners, this commencement date matters when determining which fee schedule applies to applications, renewals, or other chargeable events occurring before and after 1 April 2019.
Section 2: Licence fees is the core provision for licensing charges. It states that the fees specified in the second column of Part 1 of the Schedule are payable to the Singapore Food Agency “in respect of licences under Part IV of the Act” for the matters listed in the first column of that Part of the Schedule. The structure is important: the Schedule operates like a cross-reference table where the “matter” (first column) is matched with the “fee amount” (second column).
From a legal compliance perspective, Section 2 means that if a person is applying for, holding, or otherwise dealing with a licence that falls within Part IV of the Environmental Public Health Act, the applicable fee is not determined by general principles or policy statements; it is determined by the Schedule. A practitioner should therefore treat the Schedule as the authoritative fee list and ensure that the correct row is identified for the relevant licence category and activity.
Section 3: Other fees extends the fee regime beyond licences. It provides that the fees specified in the second column of Part 2 of the Schedule are payable to the SFA in respect of “matters in Part IV of the Act” specified opposite in the first column. This typically captures administrative or regulatory processes that are not strictly “licences” but are still chargeable under the Part IV framework—such as certain approvals, submissions, or other regulatory actions that the regulator administers.
For lawyers advising clients, Section 3 is often where disputes arise in practice: parties may assume that only licensing fees apply, but the Regulations expressly contemplate additional chargeable matters. The practitioner should therefore review both Part 1 and Part 2 of the Schedule to confirm whether a client’s transaction falls under “licence fees” or “other fees”, and whether the relevant fee is payable at the time of application, processing, or another event (depending on how the Schedule is framed).
Section 4: Revocation provides that the Environmental Public Health (Licence Fees) Regulations (Rg 4) are revoked. This is a transitional and legal housekeeping provision. Revocation indicates that the earlier fee regulations are no longer operative, and that the 2019 Fees Regulations replace them. In advising on historical matters—such as applications made around the changeover—counsel should consider whether the earlier regulations applied before 1 April 2019 and whether any rights or obligations survived (the extract does not show any saving provision, so the general rule is that revocation ends the earlier instrument’s effect unless otherwise provided).
The Schedule: Fees is the substantive content that quantifies the charges. Although the extract provided does not reproduce the fee table itself, the Schedule is clearly divided into Part 1 (licence fees) and Part 2 (other fees). The Schedule’s two-column format is central: it maps each regulated “matter” to a corresponding fee amount. Practitioners should therefore treat the Schedule as the definitive source for fee computation and classification.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Fees Regulations are structured in a straightforward, practitioner-friendly way:
(1) Enacting formula and short provisions: The instrument is made under section 42A of the Environmental Public Health Act. It then sets out a short set of operative sections.
(2) Four main sections: Section 1 (citation and commencement), Section 2 (licence fees), Section 3 (other fees), and Section 4 (revocation).
(3) A Schedule containing the fee table: The Schedule is divided into Part 1 and Part 2. Each part uses a two-column structure: the first column identifies the relevant licensing or regulatory “matter”, and the second column specifies the fee payable to the Singapore Food Agency.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Fees Regulations apply to persons who are subject to, or interact with, the licensing and regulatory processes under Part IV of the Environmental Public Health Act. In practice, this includes regulated operators and applicants who seek licences or who must undertake other chargeable regulatory matters administered by the Singapore Food Agency.
Because the Regulations are fee-focused, their direct obligations attach to those who must pay SFA fees in connection with Part IV. However, the underlying regulatory duties (for example, whether a licence is required for a particular activity) arise from the Environmental Public Health Act itself. Accordingly, counsel should read the Fees Regulations together with the substantive provisions in Part IV of the Act to determine whether a client’s activity triggers licensing or other chargeable matters.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Fees Regulations are relatively short, they are legally significant because they determine the quantum of fees payable and the recipient of those fees. In regulatory practice, fee obligations can affect timelines, budgeting, and compliance strategy. For example, if a client’s application is delayed or if a wrong fee category is paid, the client may face administrative friction or processing delays.
From an enforcement and compliance standpoint, fee regulations also support the regulator’s ability to administer licensing and regulatory oversight. By specifying that licence fees and other fees are payable to the SFA, the Regulations formalise the financial mechanism that underpins regulatory operations under Part IV of the Act.
Finally, the revocation in Section 4 underscores that fee regimes can change over time. Practitioners should therefore ensure they are using the correct version of the fee regulations for the relevant period. The extract indicates that the “current version” is as at 27 Mar 2026, but the instrument commenced on 1 April 2019. Where transactions span dates (e.g., renewals, amendments, or reapplications), counsel should confirm which fee schedule applies and whether any amendments have altered the Schedule since 2019.
Related Legislation
- Environmental Public Health Act (Chapter 95) (including Part IV and section 42A as the authorising provision)
- Environmental Public Health (Licence Fees) Regulations (Rg 4) (revoked by Section 4 of these Regulations)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Environmental Public Health (Part IV Fees) Regulations 2019 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.