Statute Details
- Title: Fees (Statistics) Order
- Act Code: FeA1920-OR46
- Legislative Type: Subsidiary legislation (sl)
- Authorising Act: Fees Act (Chapter 106, Section 2)
- Order Citation: O 46
- Government Notification (original): G.N. No. S 444/1991
- Revised Edition: 1996 RevEd (25 March 1992)
- Current version status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Key Provision (extract): Section 2 (fees payable at the office of the Chief Statistician)
- Notable Amendment (from extract): Amended by S 172/2005 with effect from 1 April 2005
What Is This Legislation About?
The Fees (Statistics) Order is a Singapore subsidiary instrument made under the Fees Act. In practical terms, it sets out the fees payable to the Government for certain statistical services provided through the office of the Chief Statistician. The legislation is designed to regulate the pricing of outputs that are produced from official statistical data, including standard returns that can be compiled from departmental data and “special returns” that require bespoke compilation and analysis.
Although the extract provided is brief, its structure and wording indicate that the Order operates as a fee schedule. It specifies what fees are payable, when they are payable (at the office of the Chief Statistician), and the basis for calculating those fees (for example, per page of an A4-sized output, and fees for special returns). The Order also contemplates that not all fees are fixed in a single table; for certain categories of work, fees may be arranged between the applicant and the Chief Statistician.
For lawyers and practitioners, the key point is that this Order governs the financial terms for obtaining statistical materials or services from the Department responsible for statistics. It is therefore relevant to matters involving requests for data, preparation of reports, procurement-like arrangements for statistical outputs, and disputes about whether a fee is properly chargeable and how it is calculated.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) provides the formal name by which the Order may be cited: the Fees (Statistics) Order. While this is standard drafting, it is important for legal referencing in correspondence, billing disputes, and any judicial or administrative proceedings where the legal basis for a charge must be identified.
Section 2 (Fees payable at the office of the Chief Statistician) is the substantive provision. It states that “there shall be payable at the office of the Chief Statistician the following fees.” This language is significant: it indicates that the fees are statutory charges, not merely administrative charges. In other words, the Chief Statistician’s office is empowered (and required) to charge fees according to the Order’s categories, subject to any later amendments and the scope of the underlying statutory framework.
From the extract, Section 2 includes at least two fee categories:
(a) Fees for standard outputs compiled from departmental data. The Order provides for “every A4 size page or part thereof of any return that can be compiled from the Department’s data,” with a stated fee of $12.40 per A4 page (or part thereof). This suggests a pricing model based on the physical or formatted length of the output. The phrase “or part thereof” is also legally meaningful: it prevents undercharging where a return is shorter than a full page, by allowing the Chief Statistician to charge for a partial page as if it were chargeable under the same unit.
(b) Fees for special returns requiring special compilation and analysis. The extract indicates a second category: “for every special return involving a special compilation and analysis.” However, the extract does not show a fixed numerical amount for this category. Instead, it states: “Fees to be arranged between applicant and the Chief Statistician.” This is a hybrid approach: the Order identifies the category (special returns with special compilation and analysis) but leaves the exact fee to negotiation or arrangement. For practitioners, this raises practical and legal questions about how “special return” is determined, what factors can be considered in setting the fee, and whether there is any duty to act reasonably or in accordance with administrative law principles when negotiating the fee.
Interplay with amendments. The extract notes that the Order was amended by S 172/2005 with effect from 1 April 2005. This is relevant because fee schedules can change over time. A practitioner advising on a billing dispute must ensure the correct version applies to the relevant request date. The platform’s “current version as at 27 Mar 2026” status indicates that the Order has been updated since the 1996 Revised Edition, and the practitioner should verify the exact fee amounts and categories in the version applicable to the transaction.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Fees (Statistics) Order is structured in a concise manner, typical of fee orders. It contains:
1. Citation — a short section identifying the Order’s name.
2. Fees — the operative fee schedule and charging mechanism. Section 2 sets out the categories of statistical returns and the corresponding fees, including per-page charges for returns compiled from departmental data and a separate approach for special returns requiring bespoke compilation and analysis.
There are no “Parts” shown in the extract, and the Order appears to be limited in length. This matters for legal research: the practitioner can focus primarily on Section 2 for the operative charging rules, while Section 1 is mainly for citation and referencing.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to persons (including individuals, businesses, and other organisations) who request statistical returns or statistical services from the Department through the office of the Chief Statistician. The operative language—“there shall be payable at the office of the Chief Statistician”—indicates that the fee obligation arises when the applicant seeks a return that falls within the categories described in Section 2.
In practical terms, the Order is most relevant to:
(i) applicants seeking standard statistical returns that can be compiled from existing departmental data; and
(ii) applicants seeking “special returns” that require special compilation and analysis.
Because the extract does not define “return,” “special return,” or “special compilation and analysis,” the scope may depend on how the Department classifies requests. Practitioners should therefore consider obtaining written clarification from the Chief Statistician’s office regarding the classification of the request, the expected output format (including page count), and whether the request is treated as a standard compilation or a special compilation.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Order is short, it has real commercial and procedural consequences. Fees for statistical outputs can be material, particularly where a request involves multiple pages, iterative revisions, or bespoke analysis. By setting a statutory basis for charges, the Order provides a legal framework that can be relied upon in billing, procurement documentation, and contractual negotiations.
For practitioners, the Order is important for three main reasons:
First, it determines the legal basis for charging. If a fee is demanded for a statistical return, the applicant (or their counsel) can assess whether the charge aligns with the categories and calculation methods in Section 2. This is particularly relevant where a dispute arises over whether a request should be treated as a standard return (per A4 page) or a special return (fee to be arranged).
Second, it affects how fees are calculated and documented. The per-page model for standard returns means that page count and formatting can become contentious. The phrase “A4 size page or part thereof” suggests that the Department may charge for partial pages. A practitioner should therefore ensure that the output is measured and billed consistently with the Order’s unit of account.
Third, it governs negotiation dynamics for special returns. Where the Order provides that “fees [are] to be arranged between applicant and the Chief Statistician,” the legal significance is that the fee is not strictly fixed by a published number in the extract. This makes the process more negotiation-driven, but it also increases the need for clear documentation: scope of work, deliverables, assumptions, and the basis for the eventual fee arrangement. In administrative law terms, while the Order authorises arrangement, the parties should still expect fair dealing and reasonableness in how the classification and fee arrangement are handled.
Finally, the legislative history and amendment references underscore the need for version control. A practitioner should confirm the applicable fee schedule as at the date of the request or billing event, particularly given the amendment effective 1 April 2005 and the existence of a revised edition in 1996.
Related Legislation
- Fees Act (Chapter 106, Section 2) — authorising legislation for the making of fees orders
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Fees (Statistics) Order for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.