Singapore
E-Commerce Legal Background
Singapore
is one of the first countries to have introduced
legislation to enable e-commerce, with the enactment
of the Electronic Transaction Act 1998. The
Act closely follows the UNCITRAL Model Law on
Electronic Commerce, and is drafted in such
a way that government authorities can introduce
electronic filing systems without amending other
laws. It also allows public bodies to issue
licences and permits electronically.
Singapore’s
aim is to be an international e-commerce hub.
The Act aims to provide the legal framework
necessary to ensure predictability, trust and
certainty to allow e-commerce to flourish.
The
Act provides a framework that clearly sets out
the rights and obligations of parties in the
course of e-commerce, as well as the legal aspects
of electronic contracts, digital signatures,
authentication and non-repudiation.
Under
the Act, network service providers are not subject
to criminal or civil liability for third-party
material where the provider is merely the host
of such material. The Evidence Act was, however,
amended to allow electronic records to be used
as evidence in court proceedings.
In
the course of developing a Public Key Infrastructure,
the Act provides for the appointment of a Controller
of Certification Authorities. The Controller
enables regulations to allow certification authorities
(including foreign certification authorities)
to be licensed under a voluntary regime, subject
to strict licensing criteria including financial
soundness and security controls.
Singapore
ISP and Hosting Services
Singapore
Internet service providers include 1-net.com,
pacific.net, qala.com, singnet.com and starhub.net.
Web hosting services can be found via a simple
web search engine such as Google, and include
hostsg.com, webhosting.com.sg, sghosting.net,
usonyx.net, singhost.net, and singaporewebhosting.com.
Singapore
Online Banking
Development
Bank of Singapore introduced an online banking
facility in 1997, and was soon followed by United
Overseas Bank and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp.
Internet banking in Singapore is now widespread,
with some banks offering online stock trading
in addition to standard banking services.
Lowtax Network Portal
Front Page
Tax Jurisdictions
Featured Content
