SINGAPORE LEGISLATION

• Citation: (2004) 16 SAcLJ 541
• Published date: 01 December 2004
• Date: 01 December 2004
• Author: WOON Seow Cheng LLB (Hons)(National University of Singapore); State Counsel, Attorney-General’s Chambers. Yvonne LIM Keok Yin BA (National University of Singapore); Legal Executive, Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Digest of Acts passed between 1 March 2004 and 31 August 2004

(correct as at 28 October 2004)

Supply Act 2004

Act No 8 of 2004

Long title: An Act to provide for the issue from the Consolidated Fund and the Development Fund of the sums necessary to meet the estimated expenditure for the financial year 1st April 2004 to 31st March 2005 (both dates inclusive).

Passed by Parliament on: 19 March 2004

Assented to by President on: 22 March 2004

Publication date: 25 March 2004

Commencement date: 1 April 2004

Summary: This Act seeks to make provision for the appropriation of moneys from the Consolidated Fund and the Development Fund to meet the estimated expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 (both dates inclusive).

Supplementary Supply (FY 2003) Act 2004

Act No 9 of 2004

Long title: An Act to provide for making supplementary provision to meet additional expenditure for the financial year 1st April 2003 to 31st March 2004 (both dates inclusive).

Passed by Parliament on: 19 March 2004

Assented to by President on: 22 March 2004

Publication date: 25 March 2004

Commencement date: 25 March 2004

Summary: This Act seeks to make additional provision for the financial year 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 (both dates inclusive) to meet expenditure in excess of the sums authorised by the Supply Act 2003 (Act No 2 of 2003), in accordance with Arts 148(2) and 148C(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (1999 Reprint).

International Development Association (Amendment) Act 2004

Act No 10 of 2004

Long title: An Act to amend the International Development Association Act (Chapter 144A of the 2003 Revised Edition).

Passed by Parliament on: 19 April 2004

Assented to by President on: 24 April 2004

Publication date: 28 April 2004

Commencement date: 15 May 2004

Summary: This Act amends s 4 of the International Development Association Act (Cap 144A, 2003 Rev Ed) to allow for contributions payable by the Government to the International Development Association to be charged and paid out of the Consolidated Fund. With this amendment, the Minister, with the concurrence of the President under Art 144(1)(b) of the Constitution, may raise loans under s 6 on behalf of the Government (by the creation and issue of securities) to provide the sums required for making such contributions to the International Development Association.

Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) (Amendment) Act 2004

Act No 11 of 2004

Long title: An Act to amend the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) Act (Chapter 86 of the 2001 Revised Edition) and to make consequential amendments to the Income Tax Act (Chapter 134 of the 2004 Revised Edition).

Passed by Parliament on: 20 April 2004

Assented to by President on: 24 April 2004

Publication date: 28 April 2004

Commencement dates:

1. (a) Sections 3, 4 and 5 — 27 November 2002

2. (b) Section 7 — 10 December 2002

3. (c) Sections 6, 11 and 22 — 20 December 2002

4. (d) Section 23 — 1 March 2003

1. (e) Section 24 — 1 June 2003

2. (f) Sections 16, 18(a) and 25 — 1 January 2004

3. (g) All other sections not specified above — 28 April 2004

Summary: This Act seeks to amend the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) Act (Cap 86, 2001 Rev Ed) (“the Act”) —

1. (a) to implement the income tax changes announced in the Government’s 2003 Budget Statement, namely, to revise the overseas investment incentive and to introduce incentives in respect of the integrated industrial capital allowances and the research and development and intellectual property management hub;

2. (b) to remove certain incentives which are no longer required; and

3. (c) to make certain other amendments to the Act.

Related legislation: Income Tax Act (Cap 134, 2004 Rev Ed).

Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Act 2004

Act No 12 of 2004

Long title: An Act to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (1999 Reprint).

Passed by Parliament on: 19 April 2004

Assented to by President on: 26 April 2004

Publication date: 28 April 2004

Commencement date: 15 May 2004

Summary: This Act seeks to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (1999 Reprint) —

1. (a) to make a consequential amendment to Art 18 arising from the merger of the Public Accountants Board with the Registry of Companies and Businesses to form the new Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority established under the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority Act 2004 (Act No 3 of 2004);

2. (b) to enable every personnel board to delegate all or any of its powers or functions (other than the power of delegation) to any of its members to exercise;

3. (c) to allow Singapore citizenship to be acquired by children born overseas to mothers who are citizens and to any parent who is a citizen by descent who satisfies certain residency requirements;

1. (d) to make a consequential amendment to Art 144 arising from the amendment made to the International Development Association Act (Cap 144A, 2003 Rev Ed) by the International Development Association (Amendment) Act 2004 (Act No 10 of 2004); and

2. (e) to allow for the transfer of reserves between —

   1. (i) the Government and any statutory board specified in Part I of the Fifth Schedule or any Government company specified in Part II of that Schedule; and

   2. (ii) any statutory board specified in Part I of the Fifth Schedule and any Government company specified in Part II of that Schedule,

   without causing a draw on the past reserves of the Government or such statutory board or Government company.

Singapore Totalisator Board (Amendment) Act 2004

Act No 13 of 2004

Long title: An Act to amend the Singapore Totalisator Board Act (Chapter 305A of the 1999 Revised Edition) and to make related amendments to the Betting Act (Chapter 21 of the 1985 Revised Edition).

Passed by Parliament on: 20 April 2004

Assented to by President on: 24 April 2004

Publication date: 29 April 2004

Commencement date: 1 May 2004

Summary: This Act seeks to amend the Singapore Totalisator Board Act (Cap 305A, 1999 Rev Ed) and to make related amendments to the Betting Act (Cap 21, 1985 Rev Ed). This Act amends the Singapore Totalisator Board Act primarily —

1. (a) to expand the functions of the Singapore Totalisator Board (the Board) to include the operation or conduct of other betting or gaming activities in addition to the operation of totalisators in respect of race meetings and the conduct of four-digit numbers forecast draws;

2. (b) to expand the powers of the Board to include the provision of assistance and advice relating to betting and gaming and to enable the Board to acquire any securities, stocks or shares of any company for the purpose of carrying out its functions; and

3. (c) to expand the maximum number of members of the Board from seven to 12 (including the Chairman).

The Betting Act is also amended to enable the Minister for Home Affairs to exempt, in...