Statute Details
- Title: Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) Order 2015
- Act Code: NPPA1974-S228-2015
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (Chapter 206)
- Enacting Authority: Minister for Communications and Information
- Key Enabling Power: Section 44(1)(b)(ii) of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act
- Commencement: 1 June 2015
- SL Number: S 228/2015
- Made Date: 21 April 2015
- Current Version Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026 (per the legislation portal)
- Key Provisions in Extract: Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Exemption)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) Order 2015 is a short piece of subsidiary legislation made under the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (Chapter 206). Its purpose is to grant a targeted exemption from a specific statutory requirement in the parent Act. In practical terms, it allows a particular organisation—Singapore Institute of Technology (a company limited by guarantee)—to be exempt from the obligations imposed by section 21 of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act, but only in relation to a defined activity: the printing and publishing of any newspaper in Singapore by that institution.
Singapore’s newspaper and printing press regulatory framework is designed to ensure accountability and oversight in the printing and publishing sector. The parent Act typically imposes requirements on persons and entities involved in printing presses and newspaper publishing. However, the law also recognises that not every entity engaged in printing or publishing should be subject to the same regulatory burden. This Order is an example of how the Minister can tailor the regulatory regime by exempting a specific body from a particular provision.
Because the Order is narrow and specific, it is best understood as a “permission by exemption” rather than a broad reform of the newspaper regulatory system. For practitioners, the key legal work is to identify (i) what section 21 of the Act requires, (ii) who is exempted, and (iii) the scope of the exemption—particularly whether it is limited to printing and publishing “any newspaper” by the exempt entity, and whether it is limited to activities “in Singapore.”
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the formal identification and effective date of the Order. It states that the Order may be cited as the Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) Order 2015 and that it comes into operation on 1 June 2015. For legal compliance and risk management, the commencement date matters because it determines when the exemption becomes available. If an entity’s relevant conduct occurred before 1 June 2015, the exemption would not apply (unless another legal basis exists).
Section 2 (Exemption) is the substantive provision. It states that the Minister exempts from section 21 of the Act the company limited by guarantee known as the Singapore Institute of Technology with respect to the printing and publishing, in Singapore, of any newspaper by the Singapore Institute of Technology.
This wording contains several legally significant elements:
- Exemption from a specific section: The exemption is not from the entire Act, but only from section 21. This implies that other provisions of the Act (if applicable) may still govern the exempt entity.
- Exempt entity is precisely identified: “the company limited by guarantee known as the Singapore Institute of Technology.” This is important because the exemption is tied to the legal person (the company limited by guarantee) rather than to an informal name or a broader group.
- Scope is tied to activity: the exemption applies “with respect to the printing and publishing … of any newspaper.” The exemption is therefore activity-based, not merely status-based.
- Geographical limitation: the activity must be “in Singapore.” This suggests that the exemption is intended for printing and publishing operations located within Singapore, or at least for newspaper printing/publishing that occurs in Singapore.
- Type of publication: the exemption refers to “any newspaper.” While “newspaper” is typically defined in the parent Act, the phrase “any newspaper” indicates that the exemption is not limited to a particular title or category, provided the publication qualifies as a “newspaper” under the Act’s definition.
Although the extract does not reproduce section 21 of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act, practitioners should treat section 2 of the Order as a “hook” into the parent Act. The legal effect is that, for the defined activity, the Singapore Institute of Technology is relieved from whatever section 21 requires. In many regulatory schemes, section 21 would typically relate to licensing, registration, or obligations concerning printing presses or newspaper publishing. The exemption therefore reduces compliance obligations for the exempt entity, but it does not necessarily remove all regulatory duties under the Act.
Enacting formula and making authority confirm that the Minister acted under the statutory power in section 44(1)(b)(ii) of the Act. This is relevant for validity analysis. If a challenge were ever raised, the Minister’s reliance on the enabling provision would be a key point: the exemption must fall within the scope of the power granted by section 44(1)(b)(ii). The Order also includes the “Made on 21 April 2015” line and the signature block (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Information), which are typical formalities for subsidiary legislation.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured in a very simple, two-section format:
- Section 1 (Citation and commencement): identifies the instrument and sets the effective date.
- Section 2 (Exemption): grants the exemption from section 21 of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act to the Singapore Institute of Technology, limited to its printing and publishing of any newspaper in Singapore.
There are no additional parts, schedules, conditions, reporting requirements, or procedural steps in the extract. That brevity is typical of exemption orders: they are designed to be clear, targeted, and legally operative without extensive administrative detail.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The exemption applies to one specific legal entity: “the company limited by guarantee known as the Singapore Institute of Technology.” In other words, the Order does not create a general exemption for all educational institutions, all companies limited by guarantee, or all publishers. It is entity-specific.
However, the exemption is also activity-specific. It applies only “with respect to the printing and publishing, in Singapore, of any newspaper” by the Singapore Institute of Technology. Therefore, if the Singapore Institute of Technology engages in other activities that fall under different provisions of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act—such as activities not covered by section 21, or activities outside Singapore—those activities may still be subject to the parent Act.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Order is short, it has real compliance implications. For lawyers advising the Singapore Institute of Technology (or for counterparties dealing with its publications), the exemption can affect whether the institution must comply with the requirements of section 21 of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act for the defined activity. In regulated sectors, the difference between being subject to a statutory requirement and being exempt can determine licensing timelines, operational risk, and potential enforcement exposure.
From an enforcement and governance perspective, the Order illustrates how Singapore’s regulatory framework balances oversight with practical exemptions. The Minister’s power under section 44(1)(b)(ii) allows the regulatory authority to exempt particular bodies where the policy rationale supports it—such as where the exempt entity’s newspaper printing and publishing activities are consistent with its institutional role and do not warrant the same regulatory treatment as other market participants.
For practitioners, the most important practical step is to read the exemption alongside section 21 of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act and the Act’s definition of “newspaper.” The exemption’s legal value depends on what section 21 actually requires and whether the publication in question qualifies as a “newspaper” under the Act. In addition, counsel should consider whether any other provisions of the Act apply to the Singapore Institute of Technology’s printing and publishing activities even if section 21 is exempted.
Related Legislation
- Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (Chapter 206) (including section 21 and the enabling power in section 44(1)(b)(ii))
- Printing Presses Act (noted in the provided metadata as related legislation)
- Legislation Timeline / Versioning materials (for confirming the correct version as at 27 Mar 2026)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Newspaper and Printing Presses (Exemption) Order 2015 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.