From end-2023, freshly prepared beverages with high sugar and saturated fat content will be required to display ‘Nutri-Grade’ labels. The ‘Nutri-Grade’ labelling requirements that presently apply to retail settings will also be extended to apply to non-retail settings such as workplaces, schools and healthcare institutions.
On 13 February 2023, the Singapore Food Agency published a media release in relation to a licensed food importer’s failure to arrange for the inspection, examination and certification of its imported food consignments. The food importer proceeded to sell the imported food consignments prior to the inspections and was fined SGD 13,500 by the court.
After two and a half years since the issuance of the Regulations on the Unreliable Entities List, the Unreliable Entities List Working Mechanism headed by China’s Ministry of Commerce has for the first time designated two US aerospace and defense companies as “Unreliable Entities.”
The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness has released its interim report on 13 February 2023 with its 20 recommendations for the proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation.
In 2021, the Singapore government announced that it will be taking steps to enshrine the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) in law. The TGFEP, which is non-legally binding, sets out principles of workplace fairness and best practices for employers. While the TGFEP has improved standards of workplace fairness in Singapore, it does not have legal force. Enshrining the TGFEP in law is a significant step towards strengthening Singapore’s stand against workplace discrimination.
Japan’s amended regulations on cookie information will start on 16 June 2023. The amended regulations now capture an even wider range of businesses, such as SNS platforms, various content sharing services, and certain online search tool businesses. It is important to consider whether your business is within the scope of the amended regulations and to take appropriate measures to ensure compliance, such as updating cookie policies or adding appropriate pop-up notices.
Due to workplace safety and health concerns arising from the lack of improvement in rates of workplace fatalities and a rise in major injuries in certain sectors, the Ministry of Manpower has announced the following:
• A three-month extension to the Heightened Safety Period (HSP) to 31 May 2023. The HSP, which applies across all industries, was due to end on 28 February 2023
• Additional measures adopting the Recommendations by International Advisory Panel to Strengthen Workplace Safety & Health on 19 January 2023
Baker McKenzie’s Sanctions Blog published the alert titled Japan introduces further sanctions against Russia on 15 February 2023. Read the article via the link here. Please also visit our Sanctions Blog for the most recent updates.
At the 20th working session, which took place from 13 February 2023 – 15 February 2023, the National Assembly Standing Committee of Vietnam considered and decided on a number of important issues, including: the draft Law on Protection of Consumer Rights, the draft Law on Electronic Transactions and the draft Decree on Personal Data Protection.
The Environmental Public Health Amendment Bill, introduced in Parliament on 9 January 2023, has proposed revisions to the cleaning business license regulatory framework in a bid to drive capabilities and raise public health standards of cleaning businesses. The existing framework, which was introduced in September 2014, only provides for one type of cleaning business license. However, the revised framework, which is intended to come into force from 1 January 2024, will provide for three different classes of cleaning business licenses.
The Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 that seeks to regulate the provision of safe and reliable charging of Electric Vehicles and the expansion of the EV charging infrastructure in Singapore was passed by Parliament in January 2023. The Act is expected to take effect in the second half of 2023. Notably, the Act sets out a licensing regime for EV charging operators and also prescribes certification requirements that all EV chargers would have to meet before the chargers can be installed and used in Singapore.