Second-Hand Goods Dealers Act kicks in

Channel NewsAsia 2 Dec 07;

SINGAPORE: The Second-Hand Goods Dealers Act has kicked in.

From 1 December, sellers of second-hand goods like cellphones, scrap metal, watches and other electronic items must register with the Police.

As of 19 November, some 200 dealers have already done so. Under the new Act, details of the buyer and seller of every transaction must be recorded, including the price and information on the second-hand product sold. Such details must be made available to the Police for five years.

The Act aims to make it more difficult for stolen goods to be sold in the second-hand market.

But second-hand dealers Channel NewsAsia spoke to, said they are facing a loss in business.

They said few people want to provide such details.

More than 1,000 cases of scrap metal theft were reported in the first nine months of this year, a 25 percent increase from the same period last year. - CNA/ir