3. Parliamentary replies
Written reply to PQ on Actions against businesses flouting Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act and list of specific unfair practices
7 January 2025
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Question
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) in the past five years, how many enforcement actions has the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore conducted against errant businesses that flout the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA); and (b) whether the Ministry can provide a breakdown in accordance with the list of specific unfair practices as specified in the Second Schedule of the CPFTA.
Written Answer by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong
1. Since 2020, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) has taken enforcement action in 16 cases against 30 suppliers for engaging in unfair practices under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA). CCCS issued a warning for 12 of these 16 cases, which were resolved through voluntary undertakings by suppliers to cease any unfair practices. For the remaining four cases, CCCS did so by obtaining court declarations and injunctions.
2. Most of the cases CCCS took enforcement action against involved multiple misleading and false representations under Section 4 of the CPFTA. The breakdown of the top five specific unfair practices under the Second Schedule of the CPFTA since 2020 is provided in the table below.
Specific Unfair Practice and no. of enforcement cases
Specific Unfair Practise (UP) under VPFTA Second Schedule | No. of cases with enforcement action taken |
|---|---|
(UP 1) Representing that goods or services have sponsorship, approval, performance characteristics, accessories, ingredients, components, qualities, uses or benefits that they do not have. | 5 |
(UP 9) Representing that a price benefit or advantage exists respecting goods or services where the price benefit or advantage does not exist. | 5 |
(UP 11) Representing that a transaction involving goods or services involves or does not involve rights, remedies or obligations where that representation is deceptive or misleading. | 4 |
(UP 20) Representing that goods or services are available at a discounted price for a stated period of time if the supplier knows or ought to know that the goods or services will continue to be so available for a substantially longer period. | 4 |
(UP 10) Charging a price for goods or services that is substantially higher than an estimate provided to the consumer, except where the consumer has expressly agreed to the higher price in advance. | 3 |