Raymond Lim Siang Keat
Singapore
“Mr Chairman, Sir, we launched a slew of measures over the past three years to effect a major transformation to our land transport system. These cover not just big projects like our $60 billion investment to double our rail network but also smaller and equally important things like bus route information at every bus stop and parking guidan…”
“I think the better approach to help Singaporeans cope with the cost-of-living pressures is that which has been outlined by the Finance Minister. That is, instead of trying to bring specific costs down, it is better to give help on the income front.”
“From the experiences of these ongoing public education initiatives, CFC is in the midst of developing a set of guidelines on proper cycling behaviour on dedicated cycling paths. Apart from these efforts, TP has been giving customised talks in schools and at community-level events to provide tips on safe cycling.”
“Er Lee Bee Wah: Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for the comprehensive answer. I have four supplementary questions. Since the announcement of the NSE, I have been receiving overwhelming feedback from my residents from three condominium developments.”
“The Member's second question refers to the noise mitigation measures. LTA actually has considerable experience in doing these. This is not the first time that LTA, because of the compact nature of Singapore, has had to build a major road in close proximity to residential areas.”
“Yes, on a weekly basis. The second question is how much have been claimed to date. We started this on 18th December 2010. As at the end of last year 28th December, we have a total of about 169,000 transactions. We have refunded about $46,000. There was $300,000 overcharged and $46,000 refunded.”
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“Yes, the LLP provision is simply, as I said, forming a business structure. So, in terms of legal liability, professional negligence, he is quite right, it is under the law of tort. I think, similarly, in a general partnership, and it is not an LLP, if a particular partner is professionally negligent, again it is under the law of tort. The only difference now is that in an LLP, the other partners are not personally liable for your actions.”
“Future losses can be offset against future LLP income. So it is principally a timing issue. I thank Members once again for their contributions and support of the Bill.”
“So, as I said earlier, he is liable to the full extent of his net worth. The other thing, of course, is that the LLP is simply a business form, a vehicle. The relevant professions will continue to regulate to ensure that standards are maintained. He mentioned the legal profession. That, again, the relevant authorities will regulate them. What about having insurance? This is again a compliance cost issue, and we think that we have sufficient safeguards. No jurisdiction has imposed insurance on LLPs. Dr Wang asked why is it that in the UK LLP Act, they made references to the Companies Act, and not in our case. We have drafted it differently. We have drafted it as self-contained, as he said, all in, whereas in the UK, their starting point is that the LLP is a company, and therefore they made a lot of references to the Companies Act. In our case, as I said, we have treated the LLP as essentially a partnership; hence the difference. And why have we done this? It is because we scan the existing LLP structures to ensure, in terms of business efficacy, we do not make the same mistakes as others have made. The feedback has been that the UK LLP Act has been criticised because it is too close to being a company. Prof. Png brought up basically the point about tax treatment. As I said, we actually addressed that in the House last November. But just to clarify that, if you look at it at one particular level, this is really a timing issue. Because right now what we have is part of our tax feature, that companies can carry forward their losses against future profits. So, in the case of the LLP, we allow the particular LLP partners to offset their losses against their non-LLP income. So there is a cap, but you bring it a bit forward.”
“To give a sense of perspective on this too, is the declaration of solvency enough? He said we are transiting from general partnership and now we have limited liability partnership. If you look at what is happening in Singapore today, it is not really difficult to get limited liability. Most companies in Singapore are exempt private companies and they do not file their accounts if they can have a declaration of solvency. Partnerships today, like legal firms or accountancy firms, can form themselves into a limited law corporation or a public accountant corporation. And, again, the reporting requirements are not much different from what we have in the LLP. Dr Wang brought up the point - I think this is an important point - that notification is important. Now that there is going to be limited liability, we have to notify. And the Bill provides that, in your name or the partnership, you have to put down "limited liability partnership" or "LLP". In the case of a conversion, ie, when you are converting from a general partnership into an LLP, for a period of one year, in all your official correspondence you must state that you have now been converted into a limited liability partnership, so as to put those people who have been dealing with you on notice. Dr Wang raised another point. He said that he was concerned whether with this limited liability partnership, the quality of the legal profession or accountancy profession will start to fall. I think that there are incentives to maintain high standards. One of them would be the fact that the limited liability partner would still be personally liable for his wrongful acts or omissions. So it is not as though that with limited liability partnership, when he is professionally negligent, that is actually capped. It is not capped.”
“So all the assets and liabilities will be vested in the LLP. On the issue of stamp duties, we have made a concession. In such a conversion and the LLP has chargeable properties, the stamp duty would be waived. Dr Ahmad Magad and Dr Wang brought up the issue of creditors' interest, that we should protect creditors, given the fact that we are now giving partnerships limited liability. This is a valid concern and we took that into account. Whenever we have a new business form, we have to strike a balance between the users of the business form - owners, investors - and those who are dealing with it - the creditors, suppliers, customers, clients. We have to balance it. And when we want to strike a balance, we reference it back to the objective of this new business form. As I have mentioned, the objective of this new business form is to have the flexibility of a partnership with the inter-position of limited liability. So we have to ensure this, when we are striking a balance. As Dr Wang has said, we did a thorough scan of all the different legislation on how best to balance this. We wanted to make sure that we do not increase the business compliance cost or introduce a lot of features of a company into this structure, which will then defeat the whole idea of having a partnership, and we had to balance it, as both Members correctly pointed out, so that there are sufficient safeguards to protect creditors. I have mentioned earlier some of the safeguards that will be put into the Act. Dr Wang asked whether there is a definition of declaration of solvency in the Bill. There is, if you look at clause 24 of the Bill which defines what it means by that - that you should be able to pay your debts over the normal course of your business. So it gives a sense of what it means.”
“The key thing is to ensure that there is sufficient time for the remaining partner to find someone else. We were told that one consideration is that sometimes it takes more than six months, when it comes to a partner who is deceased, for the Letters of Administration or Probate to be done. So, on balance, we said, let us give them two years to find a partner or wind up the LLP. Dr Ahmad Magad also brought up the point about the liability of partners and asked for clarification. On the liability of partners, when a partner is personally liable for a wrongful omission or act, he is not limited to the capital contribution. This means he is personally liable to the full extent of his net worth. So, if a partner is professionally negligent, he is personally liable. So it is not limited to his contribution. The LLP itself will also be liable for the partner's act. It is only the innocent partner, like I mentioned in my speech, who will not be held liable. The fact that a person is a partner in an LLP does not make him personally liable for the actions of the other partner who has committed a wrongful omission or act. The Member asked why is there clause 9. The reasoning behind clause 9 is that the LLP should not be bound if a partner has no authority to act in a particular matter. I think that is quite reasonable. We should not bind the LLP if a partner has no authority on that particular matter. Dr Ahmad Magad also brought up the point about conversion, which I said he anticipated in my next speech on stamp duties, but I will take it here. He is quite right that when it comes to conversion, what we have done is that when a general partnership is converted into an LLP, with the same partners and the same business, we will provide a seamless conversion.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank the Members for their support and the comments that they have made. I would like to thank Dr Wang Kai Yuen for an erudite exposition of the history of LLP and the various issues involved. And Dr Ahmad Magad who anticipated my speech on the Stamp Duties Act, because he has raised an issue which actually relates to the Stamp Duties Act, and I commend him for that. I will also address that here. And, of course, Prof. Ivan Png who actually brought up an issue which we discussed last November. So we have a spectrum of issues here. Dr Ahmad Magad brought up the issue of whether two years is too long a grace period in the case where there is only one remaining LLP partner. Like what Dr Wang Kai Yuen has said, we had extensive public consultation on this. What is interesting is that the public feedback was: is it too short? Their consideration was that when we do international benchmarking, the US Delaware model is the most popular model, and there when they are down to one partner, they do not get deregistered. They remain an LLP. So it is a one-partner LLP; in other words, it is for an indefinite period. So we use that as one particular benchmark. The UK has it as six months. Some say that it is a bit too short. So, based on consultation, we decided that, as the Member has pointed out, it is really a misnomer to have an LLP with only one partner. The common understanding of a partnership is a voluntary association of two persons coming together to set up a business for profit. That is why we have a two-partner LLP. Once we settle on that and we have a two-partner LLP, what do we do then when we are down to one partner? So we need to give a grace period.”
“This will enable all members of the Board to be more gainfully deployed for the appeal process. Similar amendments are being made to the Income Tax Act for the Income Tax Board of Review and Property Tax Act for Valuation Review Board. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ESTATE DUTY (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read.”
“Zero-rating of services provided for and to overseas persons Section 21(3)(j) is amended to clarify that for the supply of services to be zero-rated, the services must be made contractually to and beneficially for an overseas person. This amendment, which reinforces the policy intent that only services consumed by overseas persons can be zero-rated, acts as a safeguard against round tripping and tax avoidance. Facilitating electronic transactions via IRAS's new system IRAS will be replacing its information system, the Inland Revenue Integrated System (IRIS), with a new system, as I mentioned earlier,the Inland Revenue Interactive Network (IRIN). To enhance customer service, IRIN will enable the provision of e-services to taxpayers via personalised portals (eg, e-notices and e-applications). With the GST Act amendment, electronic transactions and notices will have the same legal force as paper documents. GST Board of Review Currently, the Chairman of the GST Board of Review must preside at the meetings of the GST Board of Review. To allow the efficient processing of cases, section 50 of the GST Act will be amended to allow the Minister the flexibility to appoint Deputy Chairmen to preside over hearing committees in the authority of the Chairman. Section 51 of the GST Act currently allows the appellant and the Comptroller to object to certain members of the GST Board of Review from hearing the case. To prevent frivolous objections, the Act shall be amended to require the appellant and Comptroller to state reasons for their objections and to enable the Chairman to assess the merits of the reasons provided. Where the Chairman turns down the objection, reasons for the decision would be explained to the appellant and Comptroller.”
“Zero-rating of ancillary services for handling of ships, aircrafts and goods carried in a ship or aircraft Section 21(3)(l) of the GST Act presently allows zero-rating for services provided within the Free Trade Zone or designated area(s) of a port, terminal or airport for the handling of ships or aircrafts and the handling or storage of goods carried in a ship or aircraft. To qualify for zero-rating, these services must be provided within the specified physical boundaries of the Free Trade Zone, port, terminal or airport. Section 21(3) of the GST Act seeks to include services that are integral to the handling of ships or aircrafts and the handling or storage of goods carried in a ship or aircraft even if they are not carried out physically in the Free Trade Zone, port, terminal or airport. GST scheme to ease cash-flow burden on exporters Presently, there are a number of schemes that serve to mitigate the cash-flow problems of exporters by waiving GST on imports bound for re-export. However, there is no scheme that relieves GST on local purchases even though they may be destined for export. Exporters that largely make local purchases for subsequent export have to pay GST on the local purchases and only subsequently obtain a refund of the GST when the items are exported. For qualifying industries which predominantly engage in supplying products for export with no local consumption, a new scheme will be introduced whereby GST will be waived on specified products supplied from an identified party to another identified party in the qualifying industry. For a start, the scheme shall apply to the supply of marine fuel oil from oil majors or oil traders to bunker suppliers in the bunkering industry. The Act will be amended to effect the scheme.”
“Mdm Halimah also asked for clarification on whether this grandparent caregiver relief is mutually exclusive to the infant care or childcare subsidies that a mother is enjoying. The answer is "no". You can claim both. It is in addition to it. You can get the grandparent caregiver relief as well as the infant care or childcare subsidies. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. The Acting Second Minister for Finance (Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bill will amend the Goods and Services Tax Act to give legislative effect to the following measures to: (a) zero-rate services ancillary to the handling of ships or aircrafts and the handling or storage of goods carried in a ship or aircraft; (b) introduce a scheme to ease the cash flow burden of exporters in a qualifying industry; (c) clarify that zero-rating is allowed only where the services are made contractually to, and beneficially for, a person outside Singapore; (d) facilitate electronic transaction via IRAS's new IT system; and (e) empower the Minister to appoint the Deputy Chairmen for the GST Board of Review. Sir, I shall now explain the amendments in the Bill.”
“Dr Magad also asked what are the benefits or cost savings in these e-services. IRAS expects to reap productivity gains of about 20% in the service functions and it will also save costs inprinting, delivery and manpower.Taxpayers would benefit by saving time and effort in filling their forms, or when they interact with IRAS in gettinginformation. The system is really a 24-by-7 system. So if you have a query, you can access it and getany information almost immediately. Dr Magad also asked for clarification on whether a non-working spouse needs to filea tax return. The answer is "no". Only ifa person has an annual income of above $22,000 wouldhe need to file a tax return. I turn now to some of the issuesraised by Mdm Halimah. I fully agree with the views and sentiments that she has expressed. On the specific issues that she raised, she asked what about the grandparent caregiver relief. There areother caregivers, why do we not recognise them? The Committee that looked into this issue conducted extensive consultations and feedback. And their assessment and conclusion was that for most families, the grandparents play a critical role in taking care of their grandchildren, and the recommendation then was to recognise this special role played by grandparents, in terms of inter-generational bonding. So the Government had to make a decision and the decision was to do what is practical and affordable. If we were to broaden this relief, it would dilute its focus. It would increase the cost of this particular reliefand at the same time, it would affect the other measures in the overall parenthood package. So we kept its focus on grandparents to make it meaningful.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the two Members for speaking and for their support of the Bill and the suggestions that they have made. Let meaddress some of the issues that they have raised. Dr Ahmad Magad raised issues on the electronic service system which will be introduced by IRAS. He asked how would these new electronic services be received by taxpayers. I think one way to benchmark it or have a sense of reference is to look at our e-filing of income tax by individuals. We introduced that in 1998. We had about 7% of the tax base who did e-filing or about 100,000 taxpayers. In 2004, the latest numbers that we have, it is now 68%, or about 970,000 taxpayers. So if you use that as a base andyou look at the reason, I think it is familiarity,they get used to the system, and we have also enhanced to make it more user-friendly. So if you take 68% as the number of people who are now e-filing their tax returns, we can expect a shorter time for them to adopt the other e-services that would be introduced by IRAS. A related question which is raised by Dr Ahmad Magad was: what about those who, for social reasons, are discouraged or disadvantaged from using the e-services that we are introducing? The IRAS e-services programme is part of the overall Government's e-Government Action Plan. Anda key part of this e-Government Action Plan is the eCitizen Helper programme where we seekto reach out to such people to helpthose who do not own a computer,who do not understand or are notfamiliar or comfortable with using the Internet. There are 80 locations for theeCitizen Helper programme islandwide, including clubs atour community centres. IRAS itself will start upa "Surf Centre"at its premises to help taxpayers use these e-services.”
“The response from the Southeast Asian countries has been very positive. All the ASEAN member states will be invited to send representatives. It is important to stress that this is not a government-to-government platform but a people-to-people platform. And so academics, scholars, opinion makers from these countries will be invited. PORT OF SINGAPORE (Choice port of call for international shipping lines) 8. Mr Andy Gan Lai Chiang asked the Minister for Transport whether (a) the Port of Singapore is still the choice port of call for international shipping lines; and (b) Singapore is still commanding the strategic geographical location for ships passing through the Straits of Malacca.”
“As I said, these individuals are prominent individuals in the public and private sectors. They are on the board of GIC. They are given full access to the information on the performance of the funds, and the funds are benchmarked against the investment mandate. It is important to set out what is the investment mandate, and the principal mandate of GIC is to maintain and enhance the value of our reserves over the long-term, because this underpins confidence in the Singapore dollar. Against that benchmark, GIC has given us good returns over the long-term and performed creditably against international benchmarks like the MSCI equity indices, the Lehman Bond Index and against major international fund houses. .00 pm”
“And it is this policy of a sizeable reserve and a reputation for fiscal discipline that allow us room to help Singaporeans, as individuals and households, during difficult times.”
“The reason why we have adopted this particular definition of how we account for our operating budget, which we take basically the operating revenue and the operating expenditure and we take out the capital receipts, is because the capital receipts are non-recurring. So it is not a stable source for us to rely upon. The other question that she asked is whether we could have done more to cushion an economic downturn. We have done so. In the past few years, during the economic slowdown, the Government had been willing and quick to respond with assistance packages, run budget deficits in order to help Singaporeans, households, businesses, to tide over the economic downturn. And these packages are quite substantial. If you look at 2001, it was close to $13.5 billion, two off-budget packages. In 2003, SARS, $1.2 billion. And, recently, when we had Avian flu and we banned the import of poultry from Malaysia, Government agencies were quick, as Members are aware, to provide relief to egg sellers, poultry sellers and slaughterhouses. But what is really more important and the fundamental question here is: why is it that Singapore is in a position to run budget deficits when there is an economic slowdown, not just for one year but a few years, without, unlike some other countries, undermining the general market confidence in Singapore's macro economic stability, without negative knock-on effects on inflation or interest rates in the economy? The reason why we have been able to do this is that we have consistently and strictly adhered to a policy of fiscal prudence and fiscal discipline. And this means running a balanced budget over the business cycle and accumulating surpluses in good years so that you are in a position to spend in difficult times.”
“The two questions are actually one question because the Member posed the first question and she has answered it with the second question with what Minister Mentor had said in the past. What he said remains relevant. The key issue here, like she has correctly pointed out, is how do you ensure accountability. Accountability here is ensured by having the GIC's management directly accountable to the GIC board. And this board comprises prominent public and private sector individuals and has to be approved by the President. So, within the system itself, there is an institutionalised mechanism to ensure the integrity of the process.”
“Besides these IPR-related amendments, this Bill also makes a technical amendment to section 54 of the Medicines Act in relation to the control of oral dental gums. These are chewing gums intended for use in promoting dental health or oral hygiene. This also arose from our obligation under the US-Singapore FTA to allow the sale of some medicinal and oral dental gums subject to Singapore's health laws and was in fact implemented earlier in January this year. This amendment is intended to clarify for the avoidance of doubt that the powers conferred on the Minister to make orders under section 54 of the Act do also apply to oral dental gums and include powers to restrict their sale and supply only by prescription or under the supervision of a pharmacist. Madam, this Bill is to enable Singapore to comply with certain obligations under the US-Singapore FTA mainly on the protection of intellectual property rights in respect of pharmaceutical products. These amendments will also strengthen Singapore's protection of pharmaceutical patents and bring us in line with international practices. Madam, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“The new section 12A will also serve to fulfill this obligation by enabling HSA to request the applicant to notify the proprietor of the patent. This will apply mainly in situations where the generic product owner challenges the validity of the patent and HSA will take into account the action taken by the patent owner to defend his patent before continuing to process the application. Another amendment related to the second obligation concerning notification and disclosure is the new section 19C which will allow HSA to publish information on the product licence's application it has received should it be necessary to do so. The third obligation effectively means that HSA may not approve a generic product based on the safety and efficacy data of the innovated product during the period specified. In order to comply with this obligation, a new section 19B will be inserted, stating that the HSA may not grant marketing approval for a similar product on the basis of the grant of an earlier approval for a period of five years from the date of the earlier approval unless with the consent of the holder of the earlier approval. In addition to the proposed new sections 12A, 19C and 19B, section 16 of the Act will be amended to allow HSA to revoke the marketing approval of a product if it is subsequently established that a product does indeed infringe a patent or when the declaration on patent-related information is found to be false. To further strengthen the integrity of the approval mechanism, section 20 of the Act will also be amended to make it an offence for an applicant to submit a false declaration in support of this application.”
“While most of the IPR-related amendments have just been made in intellectual property laws, including the Patents Act, some amendments to the Medicines Act are also required. There are three obligations in the FTA which impact the Medicines Act. First, where a pharmaceutical product is a subject of a patent, we commit not to grant marketing approval to any third party prior to the expiration of the patent term, unless with the consent of the patent owner. Second, where a pharmaceutical product is the subject of a patent, the patent owner shall be notified of the identity of any third party requesting marketing approval effective during the patent term. Third, where marketing approval has been granted for a pharmaceutical product, any information submitted on the product's safety and efficacy may not be used as the basis for granting marketing approval to another party for a similar product for a period of five years from the earlier grant. The first obligation effectively means that no marketing approval should be granted to a generic product before the expiration of the patent term of the innovated product unless with the consent of the patent owner. In order to fulfill this obligation, a new section 12A will be inserted into the Act to allow the Health Sciences Authority to consider the patent status of the product when deciding whether or not to grant marketing approval. Section 12A will also allow HSA to request an applicant to submit patent-related information when he makes an application for marketing approval. The second obligation effectively means that there must be a mechanism whereby a patent owner will be notified of the identity of any party seeking marketing approval of a generic product while the innovated product's patent is still in force.”
“In addition, in drafting this Bill, MTI has been careful not to impose unnecessary or onerous conditions on the industry while ensuring at the same time to put in place an effective system to deter potential infringers. Application fees for licences will be kept to modest levels, and applications for renewal of licences will incur no additional costs. The manufacturers' code to be adopted will be based on the internationally accepted standard that the industry is already familiar with. Inspections by authorised officers will also be carried out with minimal disruption to legitimate manufacturers. Madam, in conclusion, a strong IPR regime is consistent with Singapore's objective of becoming a knowledge-based economy. It will also contribute towards enhancing our attractiveness as a destination for IP-related investments, thus creating more and better jobs for Singaporeans. This Bill is a useful addition to the comprehensive range of effective IP laws that Singapore already has in place. Madam, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. MEDICINES (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. The Acting Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Like the earlier Bills that were debated in this House this afternoon, this Bill is to enable us to fulfill certain obligations arising from the US-Singapore FTA. The FTA's chapter on IPR includes several obligations related to pharmaceutical products.”
“Exceptions to this obligation can, however, be authorised by right holders. It will also be an offence to falsely apply another code or any mark resembling such a code. Manufacturers are further required to keep records of their orders and purchases for inspection upon request. The third feature concerns enforcement. Enforcement responsibilities for any breaches of obligation under this Bill will be undertaken by the police IPR branch. Authorised officers and police officers will now be empowered to carry out inspections of licensed premises, both with and without notice. Licensees will also be required, upon written request, to provide samples of optical discs to any authorised officer, police officer, owner of copyright or right-holder organisation. Finally, we have enhanced penalties under this Bill. The new penalties are in line with those pertaining to similar offences in other jurisdictions, as well as those under Singapore's Copyright Act. The Bill also provides for forfeiture of goods and/or the revocation of licences under certain circumstances. Madam, this Bill will enhance the competitiveness of our industry by boosting its reputation in terms of intellectual property protection. Rights holders will be more inclined to award manufacturing contracts to plants in Singapore because they are subject to a licensing system that is more robust. Further, some of the requirements under the Bill, such as the requirement to imprint a manufacturer's code, are already required in commercial contracts. Other jurisdictions, such as Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, have already introduced similar legislation.”
“Madam, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." In 1998, the Government invoked the Control of Manufacture Act to regulate the manufacturing of optical discs, such as compact discs, video CDs and digital video discs. This was done in order to ensure that Singapore did not become a location for pirated disc manufacturing. This measure has been successful. The industry in Singapore has continued to grow and, supported by effective enforcement, illegal activity has been rooted out. This Bill seeks to enhance the regulatory regime for optical disc manufacturing in Singapore. With Singapore's thrust towards a knowledge-based economy, it is timely to improve the regulatory regime for optical discs so as to keep pace with technological advancements and better protect the rights of intellectual property rights holders. In doing so, we will also be implementing Singapore's commitments under the USSFTA. Let me now turn to the salient features of this Bill and, in particular, how these differ from the current regime under the Control of Manufacture Act. First, we are introducing a licensing system. Currently, optical disc manufacturers are required to register with EDB. Under the Bill, manufacturers are required to obtain a licence from EDB. Currently, only a one-time registration is needed. Under the Bill, licences will be subject to renewal. A register of licences issued will be maintained by EDB and will be available for public inspection. Second, the Bill introduces new obligations for manufacturers. Currently, registered manufacturers undertake to observe a voluntary code of conduct not to engage in IPR infringing activities. Under the Bill, manufacturers will have to imprint on optical discs a code that identifies them as the manufacturer of the discs.”
“Sir, actually, I have answered that question. The key reason is that we want our statistical analysis to be more comprehensive and complete. Survey data is not complete enough. And having administrative data, like taxation data makes it much more comprehensive and much more timely. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read.”
“Arrangement is made for secured courier or authorised staff to personally collect the CD-R from Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Technical Measures Firewalls, physical separation of internal and external systems and other IT installation devices protect the security of DOS' computer systems and databases. Arrangement is made with IRAS to encrypt the data sets provided to DOS.”
“I do not think this is a question of a change of mind. I think it is a matter of balancing the interest of statistical analysis to ensure that Singapore keeps up with international best practices. It would give us more timely analyses of data, and we have to weigh that against the need for confidentiality. As I said, there are various safeguards. Let me just take Members through them, so as to give you some comfort on what we are doing here. There are three ways in which we are controlling and ensuring confidentiality, ie, legal, administrative and technical measures. On legal measures, under the Statistics Act, no individual particulars can be disclosed without the prior consent, in writing, of the individual company or person. Should any officer disclose any information contrary to the Statistics Act, he shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both. At a more general level, the Official Secrets Act prohibits release of official information to unauthorised persons. An officer guilty of releasing official information to unauthorised persons shall be liable on conviction before the District Court to a fine not exceeding $2,000 and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years. The officer may, with the sanction of the Attorney-General, be tried before a Magistrate Court, and such persons shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months. Administrative Measures Strict controls are in place to ensure that access to information is given only to authorised Department of Statistics (DOS) staff. Protocols are established on data transfer, processing, storage and utilisation to ensure data security.”
“As I mentioned in my speech just now, it is an important issue, and that is why there is a confidentiality provision worked into it, to ensure that the information itself is kept confidential. So, as I mentioned just now in my speech, there are various provisions for severe penalties for any officer who releases that to an unauthorised person.”
“Mr Speaker Sir, the proposed amendment to the Statistics Act will allow Singapore to benefit from the use of taxation data for official statistics. Significant improvements in the Government's statistical system will be realised, and the survey burden on the business community and households reduced. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Legislative Amendments The Department of Statistics currently does not have the legal authority under the Statistics Act to obtain taxation information for statistical purposes. It is an anomalous situation, because the Department can request information from gazetted Research and Statistics Units and other specified competent authorities, namely, the Central Provident Fund Board, Director-General of Customs and the Superintendent of Census. The Statistics Act therefore needs to be amended to allow the Department of Statistics access to relevant individual taxation information on companies, businesses and persons. Clause 2 of the Bill removes the current prohibition on the Chief Statistician to access information obtained under any written law relating to taxation. Clause 3 provides for the amendment of the Third Schedule to include particulars and information obtained under any written law relating to taxation. But this is only to the extent that the supply of such particulars and information is permitted by or under that written law. Clause 4 includes the Comptroller of Goods and Services Tax and the Comptroller of Income Tax as competent authorities in the Third Schedule for the provision of information obtained under the Goods and Services Tax Act and the Income Tax Act respectively. Clause 5 makes consequential amendments to the Goods and Services Tax Act and the Income Tax Act. The consequential amendments empower the Comptroller of Goods and Services Tax and the Comptroller of Income Tax to furnish, and permit the Chief Statistician access to, the specific types of tax information and records to be prescribed in subsidiary legislation made under the respective Acts.”
“For example, the monthly Goods and Services Tax (GST) data will enable the Department of Statistics to derive improved estimates of turnover and value-added at a more disaggregated level. Corporate income tax data will provide the basis to adjust for under-coverage of small and medium-sized enterprises and to compile estimates of small sectors that are not adequately covered by surveys, such as agriculture and construction. Personal income tax data will help to fill data gaps in the analysis of households' income from self-employment and non-work sources. Data Safeguards Stringent standards are in place to ensure the confidentiality of individual taxation information provided to the Department of Statistics for statistical compilation and analysis. Under the Statistics Act, the taxation data can be used for statistical purposes only. Individual particulars cannot be disclosed without the prior written consent of the individual concerned. Only aggregated data can be released, so that no individual can be identified in the aggregated data. Moreover, the Act does not permit individual particulars of taxpayers to be disclosed without the permission of the Comptroller of Goods and Services Tax and the Comptroller of Income Tax. Any officer found guilty of breaching any of the confidentiality provisions in the Statistics Act is liable to severe penalties. The Department of Statistics also has strict administrative measures to ensure security of taxpayer information during data transfer, processing and storage. For example, the taxation information will be encrypted before being transmitted via secure mail to the Department. And it will only be processed by the Department's authorised staff.”
“Mr Speaker Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Department of Statistics has the responsibility to compile and analyse data on the Singapore economy and households to support policy-making and to meet the statistical requirements of international organisations, businesses, analysts and the general public. In order to discharge this responsibility, the Department has to collect a wide range of data from businesses and persons. In the past, much of the data was collected through statistical surveys. As such surveys are costly and labour-intensive, the Department has increasingly tapped on administrative data to supplement the survey data. The use of administrative data helps to reduce the burden on respondents, improve operational efficiency in statistical compilation, and increase the range of statistical analysis available for policy-making and business decision-making. Need for Taxation Data Taxation data is an important administrative data source for the statistical system in many developed countries. Canada, US, the Nordic countries, New Zealand and Australia have legislative provisions to allow their national statistical offices to access individual taxation data for statistical purposes. Besides providing personal and household incomes, taxation data can be used for benchmarking and estimating national economic accounts, creating new business activity indicators, estimating the income and expenses of small businesses, and updating the list of businesses for use in statistical surveys. Singapore will also benefit from the use of taxation data for official statistics. More useful and timely data can be compiled without imposing additional survey burden on companies, businesses and households.”
“IE Singapore, which is a statutory board with the mission of helping Singapore companies internationalise, conducted a survey in June 2003 of 200 companies and asked them for the reasons for overseas investment. About 87% of the respondents cited market seeking opportunities, while 49% cited lower cost of production. Other reasons of venturing abroad include skilled labour at the investing destination and developed financial and technological infrastructure. SETTING UP OF CASINO 12. Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what are the specific factors leading to the Government's decision to now consider the possibility of setting up a casino when it was against the idea for many years; (b) whether it will consult the broad range of Singaporeans and weigh the social costs and implications before making a decision on the matter; and (c) when will the decision be finalised.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2004/2005, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“00 pm Singapore and other ASEAN countries are also involved in a broader regional maritime security initiative in partnership with Japan. Singapore played an active role in the drafting of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), to be signed by 16 Asian countries. In support of this process, Singapore has offered to host the Information Sharing Centre (ISC) which is a key pillar under ReCAAP. This Centre will facilitate the exchange of information between ReCAAP members relating to piracy and armed robbery against ships, research and best practices. A final decision has yet to be made on the location of this Centre.”
“It will involve eminent persons such as policy makers, academics and opinion multipliers from the two regions. This initiative has the support of Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain. Finally, I will respond to the issue of piracy raised by Mr Sin Boon Ann. Maritime security is a priority issue for the entire region. Singapore's approach has always been to work with as many countries as possible to promote the safety and security of all our sea lines of communication, including the Straits of Malacca. Such efforts have intensified in the current security climate, extending beyond piracy to counter-terrorism measures. ASEAN remains a key pillar of Singapore's approach to regional maritime security. Combating sea piracy is one of the eight areas of ongoing cooperation under the Work Programme to implement the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime, adopted by ASEAN law enforcement ministers in May 2002. ASEAN also works with its dialogue partners under the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). The 10th ARF adopted a Ministerial Statement on Cooperation Against Piracy and Other Threats to Maritime Security in June 2003, committing members to cooperation in combating piracy and other maritime crimes. In August 2002, ASEAN adopted a Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism with the US. In June 2003, ASEAN Senior Officials dealing with Transnational Crime met with their US counterparts to formulate an ASEAN-US Counter Terrorism Workplan. One outcome of this will be a joint workshop with the US on "Enhancing Maritime Anti-Piracy and Counter Terrorism Cooperation in the ASEAN Region", to be held in Manila in April this year. 6.”
“He last visited Oman and UAE in February 2000. In addition, there were Ministerial-level visits to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Israel last year. We have also received frequent visits from Middle Eastern leaders, including the Jordanian King and the Bahraini Prime Minister in 2003. Singapore has close relations with Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain. PM was warmly received in all three capitals where he had substantive meetings with his counterparts. Although PM did not make an official visit to the UAE, he used the opportunity of his transit in Dubai to take stock of the developments that have taken place there since his last visit two years ago. We signed an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement with Egypt; two MOUs on Cultural and Tourism Cooperation with Jordan; and an Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement with Bahrain during PM's visit. We are currently negotiating a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Jordan and will commence negotiations with Bahrain and Egypt shortly. There is potential in the Middle East for the expansion of social, political, economic and cultural ties. Many Middle Eastern countries are now looking "East" towards Asia to diversify their economies and seek new strategic partners. To enhance our relations with this region, PM launched the Middle East Technical Cooperation Programme, whereby we will share our developmental experiences with other countries in fields like port/airport management and IT. Since the mid-1990s, we have trained 53 Bahrainis, about 100 Egyptians and 62 Jordanians. In addition, PM floated the idea of a Middle East-Asia Dialogue, which would seek to promote greater cooperation and understanding between the two regions. Participants will be invited in their individual capacities.”
“Singapore and Japan also have a regular symposium called the Japan-Singapore Symposium, where we try to reach out beyond politicians and officials to include academics and businessmen to meet to discuss pertinent political, security, economic and social issues and developments which are of interest to both sides. And as Mr Sin has noted, Japanese tourists are one of our main sources of tourists. I think they were somewhat frightened off by the SARS crisis, but now they are back and their numbers are increasing. I think Mr Sin made the point about having some kind of a Work Attachment Programme in Japan. If I understand correctly, in fact our Ministry of Manpower has put forward a proposal to the Japanese for such a Work Attachment Programme to encourage our students to spend some time in each other's country for work attachment. I think this will be very good for their learning experience and also for enhancing ties between the two countries. As regards the JSEPA, there is a yearly review and the aim is to try to broaden and deepen the areas of cooperation. I believe the agreement has brought many benefits. Perhaps, more importantly, it has served as a catalyst to get others to start moving as well. And, of course, there is competition with China. We are trying to persuade the EU to talk to us, to start off in Singapore and later on broaden to ASEAN as well. Dr Warren Lee and Dr Maliki Osman asked about our relations with the Middle East. Singapore has warm and friendly relations with many countries in the Middle East. We continue to build on our bilateral relations with these countries through visits, meetings and training programmes. As Members have noted, our Prime Minister recently made official visits to the Middle East, his second as PM.”
“There has been a very good flow of exchange of visits by top leaders of both countries. Prime Minister Goh has made many trips to India himself. I think he is very well regarded as a friend of India. And, on their part, the present government has been very active in coming to Singapore and in trying to enhance its relations not only with Singapore but also with ASEAN. Now besides China, India is the other major power that is developing rapidly in terms of trade, in terms of influence. And we have been working very closely with them. As Members are aware, we are negotiating a free trade agreement, what is known as the Closer Economic Co-operation Agreement (CECA) with India. The negotiations are in an advanced stage. It is now held back somewhat by the elections. But we expect that after the elections, we will be able to move forward, and hopefully conclude the agreement within the second half of this year. Mr Sin Boon Ann asked about the relations with Japan. Our relations with Japan have deepened and broadened over the last few years, particularly with the signing of the Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement (JSEPA) in 2002. Relations have been very good, in fact they have become better, and I would say they are excellent. Bilateral relations have been multi-faceted. Besides regular exchanges at the political and officials' level, both countries have also cooperated in other areas such as combating SARS and piracy. There are also substantial people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Throughout Japan, many friendship associations with Singapore have been established, such as in Hiroshima, Ishikawa, Kagoshima, Ehime, Nagasaki and Okinawa, and many of these associations have offices in Singapore to help them promote ties with us.”
“No initiative for national reconciliation can succeed without the approval and support of all the key groups and individuals in Myanmar. Any attempt to impose a solution from the outside is likely to fail. It could even exacerbate the situation. Singapore and other ASEAN neighbours maintain a "constructive engagement" policy with Myanmar. It is not intended to dictate to Myanmar what it should or should not do. It is also not to isolate or impose sanctions on them. Instead, our approach is to speak to the Myanmars quietly as a friend and fellow ASEAN member, and to encourage and assist them in their national reconciliation efforts. Mr Chandra Mohan raised some issues about our relations with countries other than ASEAN. I think, to a certain extent, the answers have already been given by Minister Jayakumar in that we have representation in many countries. We have also appointed roving ambassadors and, of course, there are many countries with representation in Singapore and the numbers are growing. On our part, we have also been active, for example, in getting the ASEAN-EU process going and also the Forum for East Asia and Latin American Countries. I think our Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong should be given the credit for building these two bridges, these two important bridges to Europe and to Latin America. And we continue to work very hard to establish and improve our links with countries all over the world. This is shown by the strong support that has been given to us on various issues, for example, on our proposed hosting of the IMF World Bank Meeting and also on our representation in maritime issues. And not forgetting India. I think Members will know that we are developing our relations very well with India.”
“And Singapore will do our best to help them when we can. Mr Ravindran asked about the state of relations between Singapore and Myanmar. There has been some progress in Myanmar towards reconciliation since the arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in May last year. Following his appointment in August 2003, Prime Minister Khin Nyunt has announced a "Road Map of Myanmar", with plans to reconvene a National Convention towards a new Constitution. 5.45 pm A "Forum on International Support for National Reconciliation in Myanmar" was hosted by Thailand on 15th December last year. I was present at that forum. Myanmar's Foreign Minister Win Aung briefed delegates from Indonesia, Singapore, China, Japan, India, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, and Special Envoy Razali Ismail on the Myanmar Roadmap process. During his visit to Myanmar from the 1st to the 4th of March 2004, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy Razali Ismail met both Prime Minister Khin Nyunt and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Razali Ismail has said that he was, and I quote, "encouraged by the expressions of commitment of the Prime Minister", meaning Khin Nyunt, "to implement, in an all-inclusive manner, the Government", the Myanmar government's, "seven-step roadmap, starting with the reconvening of the National Convention". Razali Ismail also said that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had indicated her willingness to work for a "harmonised" relationship, and I am quoting from him, with Prime Minister Khin Nyunt to move the national reconciliation process forward. Prime Minister Khin Nyunt has also been meeting various minority groups in Myanmar to involve them in the process. As Members know, Singapore is open to all options to improve the situation in Myanmar.”
“It provides a regular platform for Ministers and senior civil servants, including younger leaders, from both sides to interact and exchange views. The large number of bilateral visits by leaders and officials is indicative of the healthy state of the bilateral relationship, as well as the comfort level shared by both sides. Bilateral relations were further strengthened by the Sultan's State Visit to Singapore in February last year. DPM Lee Hsien Loong visited Brunei shortly thereafter to reaffirm our close ties. Next week, at the invitation of His Majesty the Sultan, President and Mrs Nathan will be visiting Brunei. This will be the second State Visit by a Singapore President to Brunei. Dr Warren Lee also asked in what other ways we can improve our economic ties, eg, when the oil revenue in Brunei runs out. Here, I can give you a couple of examples. One is the recent 2+X Agreement which was concluded by Singapore, Thailand and Brunei to have an open skies policy relating to the movement of cargo by planes. This is a good example of the close cooperation that is possible amongst these countries. Another example would be in the area of media. For example, we loan the TV authorities in Brunei a lot of our programmes, and there is a regular exchange yearly. So I think it is true to say that, in many areas, we are cooperating very well with Brunei. And I think they have found it useful to learn from Singapore how to tackle various issues. Of course, their challenges are different. Their population is much smaller and the economy is very much dependent on the oil revenue. There is, for example, no tax on individuals. So they have a big challenge on how to gradually wean people away from this system, and move into a system that is more market-based, market-oriented.”
“There is, in terms of the goods sector, an ASEAN Free Trade Agreement; services sector, an ASEAN Framework Agreement for Services; and an ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) in terms of investments. In a bilateral free trade agreement with Malaysia, the key difference then would be acceleration in these areas. But within the ASEAN context that is now being addressed, and as Prof. Jayakumar mentioned just now, it will be on a "2+X" principle, which means that any two ASEAN countries, if they are ready to move, and ready to move faster than the rest, they can do so. They can liberalise, say, the services sector faster, if they both agree. Madam, I would say that, ultimately, the exact form of closer economic integration between Malaysia and Singapore should be driven in a measured and thoughtful way, in line with economic and political circumstances. The Second Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Lee Yock Suan): Madam, several Members have spoken about relations with Brunei, Myanmar, countries other than ASEAN, eg, Japan and Middle East, and also issues concerning piracy in the Malacca Straits. I will try my best to answer these issues in the time remaining. First, concerning our relations with Brunei. As Members are aware, our relationship with Brunei is excellent. We enjoy warm and close ties, underpinned by broad-based cooperation. Both sides have long-standing cooperative arrangements in diverse areas like defence, broadcasting, education and health. Singapore and Brunei also cooperate in regional and multilateral fora. As small states, we share many common interests and similar challenges. We have always worked well together in ASEAN and other international fora. The Brunei-Singapore Exchange Visit is entering its 11th year.”
“Madam, Mr Chiam See Tong mentioned the free trade area and economic union in the same breath. But they are not quite the same thing; they are quite different animals. On the economic union, like he said, this is not new. This is something that he has brought up before, and Prime Minister Goh and Prof. Jayakumar had answered him on previous occasions. There is some economic logic to this - there are benefits, like efficiency gains, from economic union. Mr Chiam mentioned one. He said we will have a larger market. That is quite right. But against that, there are certain costs and obligations involved in an economic union. The key matter to consider when we have an economic union is that it involves the harmonisation of our fiscal, monetary and trade policies. Let me give you an example of the implications. You tend to lose economic flexibility in terms of policies. The two economies, Malaysia and Singapore, in terms of economic structure, are not quite the same. If, supposing, today you have a global commodities shock, and that the Malaysian economy goes on a slowdown, and the Malaysian government feels that it needs to ease up on monetary policy, it might actually create inflationary pressures in Singapore, because we might be at the other end of the business cycle. So, these are important considerations when it comes to economic union. It is a very significant undertaking and, if we were to do it, we need very careful studies. Mr Chiam also brought up free trade agreements. As I said, he used them almost interchangeably, but actually they are quite different. So far, we have sought to pursue a free-trade agreement, a free trade area, with Malaysia, within the context of ASEAN.”
“The world's youngest nation has certainly come a long way. Tribute must be paid to the people of Timor Leste and its leaders who have done a very admirable job. The United Nations has also played a critical role here. We are proud that Singapore has played a part in Timor Leste's reconstruction and development. Finally, Ms Irene Ng said that we should do more in creative public diplomacy. I agree with her that we should do more in publicising our efforts. Besides involving our local and foreign media when important assistance events take place, we also have a newsletter Experience Singapore that publicises our technical cooperation programme as well as Singaporeans who have made personal efforts to help developing countries. Experience Singapore has a circulation of 22,000 and is distributed to foreign government officials and international organisations in over 150 countries. In 2002, we featured an article on a Dr Wong Ting Hway, who was the first Singaporean to work full-time with the International Committee of the Red Cross. From time to time, we also feature SIF's Singapore Volunteers Overseas. Last year, we highlighted Ms Wong Yim Kuan, a retired school principal, who had spent a year teaching English in Vietianne, Laos. Madam, properly managed, such publicity will enhance a positive image of Singapore, help us win friends abroad and just as important make Singaporeans proud of their country and fellow citizens.”
“Our flagship programme here is the Initiative for ASEAN Integration. Projects include the Singapore Scholarships where we give bright students from ASEAN scholarships in our local universities and after which they return home to contribute to their home country. We have also set up training centres in the CLMV countries and special programmes to train instructors in education and IT so that they, in turn, can train their own people. Dr Ong Chit Chung has asked about the role we played in Timor Leste. Singapore has been and continues to be firmly committed to helping Timor Leste address their security and development concerns, bilaterally and through the United Nations. We have been active on the bilateral front with Timor Leste. Under the Singapore Cooperation Programme, we have trained their officials in a wide range of development fields. In July 2003, our Foreign Ministry sent a training team, comprising serving and retired Foreign Service Officers to share their experiences with Timor Leste government. From the start, we have been a firm advocate of a strong UN presence in the country and against a precipitate withdrawal of the UN as this may destabilise the new country. This is why Singapore peacekeepers have served in Timor Leste under the auspices of the United Nations since 1999. In addition, a Singaporean, Major General Tan Huck Gim, became the Force Commander of the 4,000 strong UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) from August 2002 to August 2003. Recently, Singapore strongly supported the UN Secretary General's recommendation to the UNSC - United Nations Security Council - that UNMISET be extended for another year. Timor Leste, todate, has been rightly described as one of the UN's success stories.”
“Madam, I would like to thank Members for their comments and helpful suggestions on our assistance programmes to other countries. Dr Tan Cheng Bock made the point that there is a perception that when we deal with other countries, we do so in a business-like fashion. And he is quite right that against that is the fact that we do, despite our small size, actively seek to help developing countries in ways which concentrate on human resource development, with no strings attached. Let me give you some numbers. Since 1992, when the Singapore Cooperation Programme was initiated, 28,000 officials from 152 countries have benefited from Singapore Cooperation Programme. These are not small numbers. And for a small country like Singapore, this is really no mean feat. And we go beyond that. We also provide customised courses to some of these recipient countries. They have specific needs, they tell us, could we do a particular course for them, and if we can, we tailor-make it for them and provide the course. Indonesia, for instance, has been the recipient of customised courses in housing, accountability management and capacity building. Our approach, given our finite resources, is that while we reach out to all developing countries, we pay special attention to our ASEAN neighbours. Our commitment to ASEAN is demonstrated by the fact that last year, 54% of participants (2,812) came from ASEAN member countries. We have chosen to focus our assistance on ASEAN for obvious reasons. We are an integral part of this community and should look first to see what we can do for our neighbours. This is why Singapore has been very active in helping the newer ASEAN countries, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, close the development gap with the older members.”
“If there is a breach of confidentiality by the FTA partner, we are entitled to take the matter through dispute settlement procedures to seek redress. Third, the procedure for appeals to the Minister will be kept as simple as possible. Anyone can write to the Minister, giving the circumstances and full facts of the case for the Minister's consideration. MTI, I would like to assure Mr Leong, will ensure that the appeal process will be simple, fast and efficient, as he puts it. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.27 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank Mr Leong Horn Kee for his support of the Bill and some of the issues he has raised. Let me address the concerns that he has raised. First, the information we collect from the traders will neither be onerous nor voluminous. He has our assurance. It comprises standard production and shipping documents generated in the course of conducting business. This includes documents like cost statements, commercial invoices and bills of lading relating to the goods in question. All traders are not expected to provide anything more than what they had been providing. Inspection of traders' computers and other apparatus would be carried out only when investigating a specific suspected offence. If the inspection officer chances upon any other sensitive company information stored in the computer, he is bound by the same Act not to communicate or disclose to any other person the contents of such sensitive company information. Second, every care would be taken to ensure that the information we share with prescribed FTA partners to detect abuses of trading privileges will not be used for any other purposes. The rationale for information sharing is to assure our FTA partners that only Singapore-origin exports will enjoy the negotiated tariff benefits. Singapore Customs will share information with its counterparts only when our FTA partners can clearly show that they have cause to suspect that the abuse of trading privileges has occurred. In other words, we will not entertain fishing expeditions when no adequate cause can be shown for the request for information. Moreover, the information given would be specific to the case being investigated.”
“Their views were invaluable to our negotiating team who reflected them in the overall negotiated textile package. The industry has, therefore, expressed understanding with the enhancement of the RIEA, which they see as integral to the extension of exclusive trading privileges to Singapore businesses. Our FTAs are instrumental in removing trade barriers, increasing foreign investments and creating more and better jobs for Singaporeans. Mr Speaker, Sir, the enhancement of the RIEA will help make these benefits a reality. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”