Science Centre Act
(CHAPTER 286)

(Original Enactment: Act 33 of 1970)

REVISED EDITION 2013
(31st October 2013)
An Act to establish the Science Centre Board and for purposes incidental thereto.
[25th September 1970: Sections 1 to 20 ;
1st April 1972: Section 21]
Short title
1.  This Act may be cited as the Science Centre Act.
Interpretation
2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“Board” means the Science Centre Board established under section 3;
“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Board appointed under section 4 and includes any temporary Chairman so appointed;
“Deputy Chairman” means the Deputy Chairman of the Board appointed under section 4 and includes any temporary Deputy Chairman so appointed;
“financial year” means a period of 12 months beginning on 1st April in any year;
“Science Centre” means the Science Centre established under section 5.
Establishment of Science Centre Board
3.—(1)  There is hereby established in accordance with the provisions of this Act a body corporate to be called the Science Centre Board.
(2)  The Board —
(a)shall have perpetual succession;
(b)shall have a common seal; and
(c)may, subject to the provisions of this Act —
(i)acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable;
(ii)enter into contracts;
(iii)sue and be sued in its corporate name; and
(iv)perform such other acts as bodies corporate may by law perform.
Constitution of Board
4.—(1)  The Board shall consist of —
(a)a Chairman;
(b)a Deputy Chairman; and
(c)not less than 7 but not more than 15 other members,
all of whom shall be appointed by the Minister.
(2)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, the members of the Board shall hold office for such term and subject to such conditions as the Minister may determine.
(3)  The Minister may appoint any person to be a temporary member of the Board during the temporary incapacity from illness or otherwise, or during the temporary absence from Singapore, of any member of the Board.
(4)  The Minister may appoint any member of the Board to be a temporary Chairman or temporary Deputy Chairman during the temporary incapacity from illness or otherwise, or during the temporary absence from Singapore, of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman, as the case may be.
(5)  The Minister may, at any time, accept the resignation of any member of the Board.
(6)  The Minister may, at any time, revoke the appointment of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman and any other member of the Board.
(7)  The Board may act notwithstanding any vacancy in its membership.
Duties of Board
5.  It shall be the duty of the Board to establish and maintain a Science Centre for the purpose of —
(a)exhibiting objects illustrative of the physical sciences, life sciences, applied sciences, technology and industry; and
(b)promoting the dissemination of knowledge in science and technology.
Powers of Board
6.  The Board shall have power for the discharge of its duties under section 5 —
(a)to carry on all activities, the carrying on of which appears to the Board to be necessary, advantageous or convenient for or in connection with the discharge of its duties;
(b)to promote the carrying on of any such activities by other bodies or persons;
(c)to carry on such activities in association with other bodies or persons including the departments of the Government;
(d)with the approval of the Minister, to acquire, purchase, lease, take, hold and enjoy movable and immovable property of every description and sell, convey, assign, surrender and yield up, mortgage, demise, reassign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any movable or immovable property vested in the Board upon such terms as the Board thinks fit;
(e)to erect and maintain all necessary buildings for the purposes of the Science Centre;
(f)to manage the Science Centre;
(g)to acquire, install and maintain exhibits for the Science Centre;
(h)to receive donations, grants, gifts of movable or immovable property from any source or raise funds by any lawful means;
(i)to regulate and control public access to the Science Centre and charge fees for such access;
(j)to make provision for the specialised training of any officers or employees of the Board and in that connection may offer scholarships to intending trainees or otherwise pay for the course of such training and all expenditure incidental thereto; and
(k)to enter into contracts, establish trusts and generally regulate transaction of all business connected with the Board.
Appointment of officers and employees
7.—(1)  The Board may from time to time appoint and employ such officers and employees as may be necessary to assist the Board in carrying out its functions and may from time to time dismiss them:
Provided that the approval of the Minister shall be obtained in respect of the appointment of the chief administrative officer of the Science Centre.
(2)  All officers and employees of the Board shall be under the administrative control of the Board and shall be appointed on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Board.
Members and officers of Board deemed to be public servants
8.  All members, officers and employees of the Board shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of the Penal Code (Cap. 224).
Directions by Minister
9.—(1)  The Minister may give to the Board such directions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, as he thinks fit, as to the exercise and performance by the Board of its powers, functions and duties under this Act, and the Board shall give effect to all such directions.
(2)  The Board shall furnish the Minister with such information with respect to its property and activities as he may from time to time require.
Appointment of committees and delegation of powers
10.—(1)  The Board may, in its discretion, appoint from among its own members or other persons who are not members of the Board one or more committees consisting of persons who may or may not be members of the Board for purposes which, in the opinion of the Board, would be better regulated and managed by means of such committees.
(2)  The Board may, subject to such conditions or restriction as it thinks fit, delegate to any committee referred to in subsection (1) or the chairman thereof or any employee of the Board all or any of the powers, functions and duties by this Act vested in the Board (other than the power to delegate conferred by this section), and any power, function or duty so delegated may be exercised or performed by that committee or the chairman thereof or employee in the name and on behalf of the Board.
(3)  The Board may continue to exercise any power conferred upon it, or perform any function or duty under this Act, notwithstanding the delegation of that power, function or duty under this section.
Protection from personal liability
11.—(1)  No action, suit, prosecution or proceedings shall be brought or instituted against any member of the Board in respect of any act done bona fide in pursuance or execution or intended execution of this Act.
(2)  Where any member of the Board is exempt from liability by reason only of this section, the Board itself is liable only to the extent that it would be if that member of the Board were an employee or agent of the Board.
Execution of documents
12.  All deeds, documents and other instruments requiring the seal of the Board shall be sealed with the common seal of the Board in the presence of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman and one other member of the Board, who shall sign every such deed, document and other instrument to which the common seal is affixed, and their signing shall be sufficient evidence that the seal was duly and properly affixed and that it is the lawful seal of the Board.
Grants to Board
13.  For the purpose of enabling the Board to carry out its function under this Act, the Minister may, from time to time, make grants to the Board of such sums of money as he may determine.
Issue of shares, etc.
13A.  As a consequence of the vesting of any property, rights or liabilities of the Government in the Board under this Act, or of any capital injection or other investment by the Government in the Board in accordance with any written law, the Board shall issue such shares or other securities to the Minister for Finance as that Minister may from time to time direct.
[5/2002]
Science Centre Fund
14.  All moneys received or raised by the Board shall forthwith be paid into such bank as may from time to time be decided by the Board to the credit of a fund to be called the Science Centre Fund (referred to in this Act as the Fund) which shall be controlled and administered by the Board, subject to the directions of the Minister.
Purposes of Science Centre Fund
15.  The moneys standing to the credit of the Fund shall be devoted solely to the following purposes:
(a)the payment of the expenses of, or connected with, the administration of the Board; and
(b)the payment of all expenses necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
Annual report
16.  The Board shall as soon as possible after the close of each financial year, submit to the Minister an annual report on the activities of the Board during that financial year, and the Minister shall present a copy of the report to Parliament.
Accounts of Board
17.—(1)  The Board shall keep proper accounts and other records of its own and shall prepare in respect of each financial year a statement of its accounts in a form approved by the Minister.
(2)  The accounts of the Board shall be audited by a qualified auditor appointed annually by the Board with the approval of the Minister and the auditor shall make a report on the accounts examined by him.
(3)  As soon as the accounts of the Board have been audited in accordance with subsection (2), a copy of the statement of accounts together with a copy of any report made by the auditor shall be submitted to the Minister, who shall present to Parliament a copy of every such statement and report.
Annual estimates
18.  The Board shall obtain in advance the approval of the Minister for its annual estimates of expenditure and for any supplementary estimates of its expenditure.
Power of investment
19.  The Board may invest its moneys in accordance with the standard investment power of statutory bodies as defined in section 33A of the Interpretation Act (Cap. 1).
[45/2004]
Regulations
20.—(1)  The Minister may make regulations for or in respect of —
(a)the convening of meetings of the Board and the procedure to be followed;
(b)the management and control of the Science Centre and the premises of the Centre;
(c)the exercise of the Board’s powers and functions under the provisions of this Act; and
(d)every purpose which is considered by the Minister to be necessary for carrying out the provisions of this Act.
(2)  All regulations made under this Act —
(a)may prescribe that any act or omission in contravention thereof is an offence; and
(b)may provide for the imposition of a penalty not exceeding a fine of $1,000 for such offence.
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Last updated 26 Nov 2024
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