Who We Are

The functions and duties of the CCS are to:

1. Maintain and enhance efficient market conduct and promote overall productivity, innovation, and competitiveness of markets in Singapore;

2. Eliminate or control practices having adverse effect on competition in Singapore;

3. Promote and sustain competition in markets in Singapore;

4. Promote a strong competitive culture and environment throughout the economy in Singapore;

5. Act internationally as the national body representative of Singapore in respect of competition matters, consumer protection and legal metrology;

6. Promote fair trading practices among suppliers and consumers and enable consumers to make informed purchasing decisions in Singapore;

7. Promote among suppliers in Singapore, and educate consumers on, the following practices:

   • the supply of safe consumer goods;

   • the provision of relevant safety information about consumer goods;

   • legal metrology

8. Prevent suppliers in Singapore from engaging in unfair practices and prevent the supply of unsafe consumer goods in Singapore;

9. Administer and enforce the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003;

10. Administer and enforce the Weights and Measures Act 1975 and

11. Advise the Government, other public authorities or consumer protection organisations on national needs and policies in respect of competition matters, consumer protection and legal metrology generally.

Legal, Enforcement and Consumers (LEC):

LEC undertakes legal, enforcement, advocacy, and intelligence work in relation to the administration of the Competition Act, Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, Consumer Protection (Safety Requirements) Regulations, the Consumer Protection (Consumer Goods Safety Requirements) Regulations and the Weights and Measures Act, working closely with Economics, Policy and Data (EPD) divisions. LEC consists of 4 divisions – Legal, Enforcement, Fair Trading Practices and Product Safety, Weights & Measures.

• Legal Division:
  The Legal Division takes the lead in providing CCS with the legal expertise necessary for CCS to fulfil its mission. Specifically, the Legal Division applies rigorous legal analysis in all investigations and notifications under the Competition Act and provides legal advice for matters related to the administration of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act or CPFTA. It also undertakes critical review of the Competition Act and CPFTA, related subsidiary legislation and CCS’s guidelines. Finally, the Legal Division performs all in-house legal advisory work required in the execution of CCS's functions and represents CCS in court and appeal proceedings.
  

• Enforcement Division:
  The Enforcement Division takes the lead in providing CCS with enforcement and intelligence capabilities to enable CCS to fulfil its mission. As all officers in the Enforcement Division are legally trained, they also undertake the full range of CCS’s legal work alongside the Legal Division.
  

• Fair Trading Practices (FTP) Division:
  The FTP Division takes the lead in the administration of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act or CPFTA to prevent suppliers in Singapore from engaging in unfair practices, and provides the necessary enforcement and investigation capability for CCS to fulfil its mission. The FTP Division works closely with the Consumers Association of Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board to identify, and enforce the CPFTA against, egregious suppliers that persistently engage in unfair practices. The FTP Division also advocates for suppliers to engage in fair trading practices so as to enable consumers to make informed purchases.

• Product Safety, Weights & Measures (PW) Division:
  The PW Division administers the Consumer Protection (Safety Requirements) Regulations, the Consumer Protection (Consumer Goods Safety Requirements) Regulations and the Weights and Measures Act to ensure consumer safety and fair trade practices in Singapore. The division conducts pre-market regulation of Controlled Goods and post-market surveillance of general consumer goods to verify compliance with safety standards, while also regulating weighing and measuring instruments used in trade to maintain accurate measurement systems and ensuring pre-packaged goods meet net content requirements, helping to foster a safe and fair marketplace.

Economics, Policy and Data (EPD):

EPD undertakes economic analysis in support of CCS’s enforcement and advocacy functions with respect to competition and consumer protection issues, working closely with Legal, Enforcement and Consumer Protection Divisions. EPD consists of 3 divisions – Business and Economics, Government Advocacy and Markets, and Data and Digital.

• Business and Economics (BE) Division:
  The BE Division takes the lead in researching and analysing economic and behavioural issues to ensure that CCS’s economic assessment framework and tools are robust and updated. It also advocates fair and competitive business practices to professional bodies and business communities.
  

• Government Advocacy and Markets (GAM) Division:
  The GAM Division takes the lead in engaging and advising government agencies on competition matters. In addition, the GAM Division takes the lead in the identification and conduct of market studies to address competition and consumer protection issues.
  

• Data and Digital (D2) Division:
  The D2 Division harnesses technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of CCS, performs data analytics to better inform our decision-making processes and institutionalises knowledge in digital markets, so as to augment CCS’s enforcement and advocacy functions with respect to competition and consumer protection issues in digital markets and beyond.

Corporate Affairs (CA) Division:

The CA Division supports the Divisions in achieving CCS’s mission through the delivery of key corporate services critical to the success of the organisation. Primarily, the CA Division oversees the functions of human resource, finance, procurement, information technology and office administration. It strives to nurture a productive, engaged and future-ready workforce and make CCS an excellent workplace by enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of our corporate systems and processes.

International, Communications & Planning (ICP) Division:

The work of the ICP Division encompasses strategy development, corporate communications, international affairs and organisational excellence. The ICP Division works in close partnership with other divisions in CCS to chart long-term organisation growth, track organisation performance, as well as to formulate strategies and execute programmes in the areas of advocacy, outreach, external communications and international engagement.

As the national body representative of Singapore in respect of competition and consumer protection matters, the CCS also works with its foreign counterparts to foster cooperation on cross-border cases and to promote development and implementation of competition and consumer protection laws and policies. They include:

1. Entering into agreements with foreign competition agencies, eg, negotiating FTAs with competition and consumer protection provisions to establish a level playing field for businesses and to safeguard consumers' interests;

2. Forging strategic engagements with key foreign counterparts to foster closer cooperation in competition and consumer protection related matters;

3. Participating and contributing actively at the various international fora to shape the development and implementation of competition and consumer protection policies and law;

4. Addressing relevant emerging trends and developments, as well as adopting applicable international best practices, to ensure our competition and consumer protection regime remains robust in Singapore.

Strategic Thrusts

CCS strives to achieve its desired outcome through these 5 key strategic thrusts:

1. Enhancing the competition and consumer protection regulatory and enforcement regime to ensure they remain relevant and robust within an evolving economic and technological landscape

2. Shaping government policies and initiatives to address competition issues and safeguard consumers’ interests

3. Widening and deepening stakeholder engagements to foster a culture of competition and fair trading practices

4. Strengthening relationships with key international partners to promote the global and regional development of competition and consumer protection

5. Nurturing our people and transforming CCS to be ready for the future

Desired Outcomes

Efficient markets where suppliers compete on merit and consumers are able to make well-informed choices

Markets where suppliers compete fairly through competitive merits such as efficiency, innovation, better services, etc (and not through anti-competitive and unfair trade practices), and consumers are provided with clear, correct and sufficient information by suppliers to make well-informed decisions.

Regulatory ecosystem that facilitates open and contestable markets, and safeguards consumers’ interests

A conducive regulatory ecosystem where government agencies take due consideration of the impact of their policies and regulations on competition and consumer protection in their policy-formulation or decision-making to ensure markets remain open and contestable and consumers’ interests are safeguarded.

Excellent and nurturing organisation that is future ready and has international influence

A well-respected competition and consumer protection authority that is recognised locally and internationally for its competence, rigour and effectiveness, with a laudable track record. Outside of Singapore, we strive to play a strong influential role to drive harmonisation of competition and consumer protection policies in ASEAN, and to contribute to best practices on competition and consumer protection policies and laws in the international fora. Internally, we nurture our people through growth and development opportunities, and provide them with a supportive and fulfilling environment to realise their full potential. We also continuously improve the way we work by transforming, innovating and digitalising our systems and processes to remain efficient and to be future-ready.