Statute Details
- Title: Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) (No. 2) Order 2006
- Act Code: NPPA1974-S187-2006
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (Chapter 206)
- Enacting authority: Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts
- Power relied on: Section 44(1) of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act
- Citation: Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) (No. 2) Order 2006
- Commencement: 1 April 2006
- Key provisions: Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Exemption); Section 3 (Cancellation); Schedule (Corporations)
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Legislative instrument number: SL 187/2006
- Instrument date: Made on 29 March 2006
What Is This Legislation About?
The Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) (No. 2) Order 2006 is a targeted regulatory instrument made under the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (Chapter 206). In plain terms, it creates a limited exemption from a specific statutory requirement in the Act for certain categories of publications. The exemption is not blanket: it is confined to publications by particular educational institutions and specified corporate entities, and it is expressly linked to section 21 of the Act.
The Order is best understood as part of the broader licensing and regulatory framework governing newspapers and printing presses in Singapore. The Act generally seeks to regulate the printing and publication ecosystem, including matters such as licensing, compliance, and oversight. However, the legislature recognises that some publications—because of their nature, institutional context, or public function—may not warrant the same regulatory treatment as ordinary commercial newspapers or printing operations.
This Order therefore provides a practical mechanism to exempt certain publications from the obligations imposed by section 21 of the Act. It also preserves regulatory control by allowing the Registrar to revoke an exemption by written notice at any time. Finally, it cancels an earlier exemption notification for schools publications, indicating that the 2006 Order supersedes prior arrangements.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1: Citation and commencement establishes the legal identity and effective date of the instrument. The Order may be cited as the “Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) (No. 2) Order 2006” and comes into operation on 1 April 2006. For practitioners, this matters when determining whether an exemption applied during a particular period, especially in compliance disputes or enforcement actions.
Section 2: Exemption is the core operative provision. Section 2(1) provides that publications by government, government-aided and independent schools in Singapore and the corporations specified in the Schedule are exempted from section 21 of the Act. The wording is important: the exemption is from “section 21 of the Act,” not from the entire Act. Accordingly, the exempted parties remain subject to other provisions of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act unless another exemption applies.
Although the extract does not reproduce the text of section 21, the legal effect is clear: section 21 imposes a requirement or restriction that would otherwise apply to the relevant publications. By exempting these publications, the Order reduces compliance burdens for the specified institutions and corporations. In practice, this can affect whether a school or corporation must comply with the particular procedural or substantive obligations contained in section 21 (for example, whether a publication must meet certain conditions, be subject to a licensing regime, or comply with a registration requirement—depending on what section 21 provides).
Section 2(2): Revocation of exemption provides an important safeguard and a continuing regulatory lever. The Registrar may, at any time, by written notice to any school or corporation, revoke an exemption of any publication referred to in section 2(1). This means the exemption is not irrevocable and is contingent on ongoing compliance or other considerations that the Registrar may deem relevant. For lawyers advising institutions, this revocation power has two practical implications: (1) institutions should maintain documentation and compliance practices to avoid grounds for revocation; and (2) institutions should monitor communications from the Registrar, because the exemption can be withdrawn without needing a new legislative instrument.
Section 3: Cancellation states that the “Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) (Schools Publications) Notification (N 3)” is cancelled. This indicates that the 2006 Order replaced an earlier exemption arrangement for schools publications. Cancellation provisions are significant in legal continuity: they help determine which instrument governs at a given time and prevent overlapping or conflicting exemptions. If a dispute arises about whether a school publication was exempt prior to 1 April 2006, counsel would need to consider the cancelled notification’s effective period and compare it with the new Order.
The Schedule: Corporations lists the corporations that benefit from the exemption alongside schools. While the extract shows only the heading “Corporations,” the Schedule is legally essential because it identifies the specific corporate entities entitled to the exemption. In advising clients, practitioners must verify whether the client corporation is indeed named in the Schedule (and whether any corporate name changes, restructurings, or mergers affect the applicability of the exemption). Where corporate identity issues arise, counsel may need to consider how the Schedule is interpreted in light of corporate law changes and whether the Registrar would treat successor entities as covered.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured in a conventional subsidiary legislation format with a short enacting formula and three main provisions, followed by a Schedule.
Section 1 deals with citation and commencement. Section 2 contains the substantive exemption and the Registrar’s revocation power. Section 3 provides for cancellation of an earlier notification. The Schedule then specifies the corporations to which the exemption applies. This structure reflects the Order’s narrow purpose: it does not create a broad regulatory regime, but rather modifies the application of a particular section of the parent Act to defined categories of publications and entities.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to publications by three categories of schools in Singapore—government schools, government-aided schools, and independent schools—and to publications by corporations specified in the Schedule. The exemption is tied to “publications” and is therefore not limited to the physical act of printing; it is the publication activity that is exempted from section 21 of the Act.
In addition, the Order applies operationally to the Registrar, who has authority to revoke exemptions by written notice. While the Registrar is not a “regulated party” in the ordinary sense, the revocation mechanism means that schools and corporations must be prepared for administrative action affecting their exemption status.
For practitioners, the key scoping question is whether a particular publication falls within the relevant category (school publication by the relevant type of school, or publication by a Schedule corporation). Another scoping question is whether the exemption covers all publications by that entity or only “any publication referred to in sub-paragraph (1)”—language that suggests the exemption is publication-specific and that revocation can be targeted to particular publications rather than the entity as a whole.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it clarifies that certain institutional publications are not subject to the compliance requirements of section 21 of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act. For schools and specified corporations, the exemption can reduce administrative burden and allow them to publish without engaging with the particular obligations that would otherwise apply. This is especially relevant for educational institutions that produce newsletters, magazines, announcements, and other materials that may fall within the statutory concept of “publication.”
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the revocation power in section 2(2) is a critical feature. Even where an exemption exists, it is not a permanent shield. The Registrar’s ability to revoke by written notice means that institutions must treat the exemption as conditional and ensure that their publication practices remain consistent with whatever policy or legal expectations underpin the exemption. Lawyers should therefore advise clients to maintain internal governance around publication processes, including oversight of content, publication practices, and record-keeping that can support compliance if questioned.
Finally, the cancellation of the earlier “Schools Publications” notification underscores that exemption regimes can evolve. Practitioners should be cautious when relying on older compliance advice or historical documentation. The existence of a superseding Order means that the legal basis for exemption may have changed as of 1 April 2006, and any analysis of past conduct must account for the instrument in force at the relevant time.
Related Legislation
- Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (Chapter 206) — in particular, section 21 (the provision from which exemptions are granted) and section 44(1) (the enabling power for the Minister to make orders).
- Printing Presses Act — referenced in the provided metadata as part of the broader regulatory landscape for printing and presses.
- Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) (Schools Publications) Notification (N 3) — cancelled by section 3 of this Order.
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) (No. 2) Order 2006 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.