The Business Names Ordinance 1840 and Business Registration Act 1973 required that every individual or firm having a place of business in Singapore to be registered with the Registry of Business Names. The responsibilities of the Registry of Business Names, like those of the Registry of Companies, were the registration of individuals or firms having a place of business in Singapore; the enforcement of the various regulations set forth in the Business Names Ordinances/Acts; and the provision of information services on registered firms to both the government and the public. In 1983, for administrative purposes, the Registry of Business Names was merged with the Registry of Companies and became known as the Registry of Companies and Businesses. Legally however, each still functioned as a separate department.
