On 20/06/2013,
you requested for the version in force on 20/06/2013
incorporating all amendments published on or before 20/06/2013.
The closest version currently available is that of 09/04/2001.
96.
—(1) The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for or in respect of every purpose which it considers necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out its functions and duties under, and implementing the provisions of, this Act.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for or in respect of all or any of the following matters:
(a)
the prevention and suppression of pollution, contamination or waste of gas;
(b)
the prevention of misuse of, or damage to, apparatus and works belonging to a gas licensee used for the purposes of conveying or supplying gas;
(c)
the prescribing of materials of which conduits, pipes, and other apparatus and fittings for use in connection with the supply of gas shall be made, and in respect of their size, shape, fitting, arrangement, connection, quality and workmanship, testing and inspection and cleaning;
(d)
the protection of the public from dangers arising from the conveyance, supply and use of gas or from any gas plant or gas appliance and the elimination, reduction or prevention of risks of personal injury, damage to property or the interference with the use thereof;
(e)
the regulation of matters relating to the charging in of gas to the premises of consumers by any gas transporter;
(f)
the release of a gas retailer from any obligation owed to a consumer;
(g)
the prescribing of fees and charges for the purposes of this Act;
(h)
the regulation of the construction, laying or placing of a gas pipeline in, on, over, upon, under, across or along any land and the submission and approval of plans relating thereto;
(i)
the prescribing of standards of quality and pressure of gas to be complied with by a gas transporter conveying gas to premises and standards with respect to the properties, composition and other characteristics of gas, including the odorisation of gas so conveyed;
(j)
the regulation of the appointment of independent and impartial persons to carry out tests of gas conveyed by a gas transporter, and all matters relating thereto;
(k)
the regulation of the construction, pattern, type, specification and other characteristics of meters and the appointment of independent and impartial persons to examine meters and to carry out the stamping of meters where appropriate and all matters relating thereto;
(l)
the prescribing of requirements regarding the maintenance, inspection, repair, removal and replacement and repositioning of a meter at a consumer’s premises and for the keeping in proper order, for the purposes of recording the quantity of gas supplied, of a meter made available or owned by a gas licensee or belonging to a consumer or other person;
(m)
the installation and use of meters, and the prohibition of interference with or damage to a meter or any seal or stamp affixed to or made to a meter;
(n)
the prescribing of methods for determining the charges payable by a consumer in the event a meter is found to be defective or otherwise registering erroneously;
(o)
the regulation of the conversion of a gas pipeline network and gas appliances so as to allow for the conveyance of natural gas in the gas pipeline network and for the interconnection of gas pipeline networks and the conferring on any person authorised by a gas licensee of the power to enter the premises of a consumer to carry out any inspection or perform any work relating thereto;
(p)
the regulation of the introduction of competition in the natural gas industry and the timing of such introduction;
(q)
the regulation of the installation, use, maintenance and repair of any gas plant by a consumer in prescribed circumstances where required for the purposes of avoiding pressure fluctuation in a gas transporter’s gas pipeline or gas pipeline network, preventing the admission of gas into a gas main or gas service pipe and for the removal, testing and replacing of any such gas plant by a gas transporter;
(r)
the regulation of the inspection, maintenance, repair and renewal of gas installations;
(s)
the prescribing of technical and standards of performance in connection with the provision of gas supply services by a gas retailer to consumers and the conveyance of gas by a gas transporter and for the publication of the levels of performance achieved;
(t)
the prescribing of terms that will be held to apply as between a gas retailer and a consumer where the gas retailer supplies gas to a consumer other than in accordance with the terms of a contract and for such terms to be approved by the Authority;
(u)
the safety, technical or economic regulation of any gas pipeline or gas pipeline network whether located onshore or offshore;
(v)
the governing of the exercise of the power of the gas transporter to recover expenditure under section 24;
(w)
the conferring on any authorised person of the relevant power, where it is in his opinion necessary to do so, for the purpose of averting danger to life or property, and to disconnect and seal off any gas fitting or any part of the gas pipeline network on the premises, or disconnect the premises or, if the premises are not connected, to signify the refusal of the relevant person to convey gas or, as the case may be, allow gas to be conveyed to the premises and the making of provision for —
(i)
securing that, where any such power is exercised, the consumer will be notified as to the cause of the exercise of power;
(ii)
enabling any consumer so notified to appeal to the Authority on grounds that the exercise of the power was unjustified;
(iii)
enabling the Authority to give such directions in consequence of any such appeal; and
(iv)
prohibiting any person, subject to such conditions as the Authority may prescribe, from re-connecting any gas fitting or any part of any gas pipeline network or any premises which have been disconnected or causing gas from a gas main to be conveyed to any premises; and
(x)
the regulation of gas service work and the licensing of gas service workers, including —
(i)
the approval and control of the standards and safety requirements for gas installations, gas fittings, gas appliances and any other associated equipment;
(ii)
the regulation of the installation, removal and modification of gas appliances; and
(iii)
the prohibition of use, sale or hire of all gas appliances, equipment and materials.
(3) The Authority may in making any regulations provide that any person who contravenes the regulations shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $250 for every day or part thereof during which the offence continues after conviction.
(4) All such regulations shall be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication in the Gazette.
(5) For the purpose of subsection (2)(w), “relevant person” means —
(a)
in relation to dangers arising from the conveyance of gas by a gas transporter, or from the use of gas conveyed by such a gas transporter, that gas transporter; and
(b)
in relation to dangers arising from the conveyance of gas by a person other than a gas transporter, or from the use of gas conveyed by such a person, the Authority.