Monday, December 22, 2008

S’pore builders must be licensed to work by June ‘09

Source : Business Times - 22 Dec 2008

All builders in Singapore carrying out building works under the Building Control Act will have to apply for their builder’s licence latest by June 16 next year.

This requirement first came into effect on Dec 16 2008. Builders are given a grace period of six months (till June 16 2009) to apply for a licence so as to facilitate a smoother and gradual application process.

‘The aim of licensing of builders is to raise professionalism among builders by requiring them to meet minimum standards of management, safety record and financial solvency,’ the Building and Construction Authority said in a statement on Monday.

There will be two types of licences: the General Builder licence for builders undertaking general building works where plans are required to be approved by the Commissioner of Building Control, and the Specialist Builder licence for builders who work in specialist areas which have a high impact on public safety and require specific expertise.

The General Builder licence has two classes: Class 1 licence allows the holder to carry on the business of a general builder for any project, while Class 2 licence restricts the holder to projects not more than $6 million in value.

Sole proprietorships, partnerships and limited liability partnerships will only be eligible to apply for Class 2 licence.

In addition, all Class 1 General Builders undertaking a project of value which is $20 million (US$14 million) or more will need to deploy a prescribed minimum number of construction personnel who are registered under the Construction Registration of Tradesmen Scheme.


No comments: