Parliament has passed amendments to the Singapore Tourism Board Act, aimed at clamping down on illegal tourist guides.
The changes are the first to be made in 30 years, and look set to raise professional standards of guides and enhance Singapore’s competitiveness as a tourism destination.
The amendments grant Singapore Tourism Board officers the authority to apprehend suspected unlicensed guides refusing to furnish their personal particulars during preliminary investigations. Also, STB officers now have the power to conduct searches and obtain evidence in premises where they have reason to believe unlicensed guiding has occurred.
Declaring false information or obstructing STB’s investigations could lead to a maximum penalty of $5,000.
Unlicensed guides frequently provide wrong information to tourists, while affecting the business of some 2,400 licensed guides here. Before approval of the amendments, the STB simply couldn’t compel uncooperative suspects to submit to investigations, even with beefed up enforcement against unlicensed guiding.
Source: Today
Photo: YourSingapore Facebook page
