National Statistical Commission of Singapore (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 1/1977

Read the first time on 15th February 1977.

An Act to amend the National Statistical Commission of Singapore Act, 1971 (No. 27 of 1971).

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows: —

Short title and commencement

1. This Act may be cited as the National Statistical Commission of Singapore (Amendment) Act, 1977, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Amendment of section 13

2. Subsection (3) of section 13 of the National Statistical Commission of Singapore Act, 1971 (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the “principal Act”) is hereby deleted.

Amendment of section 14

3. Section 14 of the “principal Act” is hereby amended —

(a)

by deleting subsection (1) thereof and substituting therefor the following: —

“(1) As soon as may be after the 1st day of April but not later than the 31st day of July in every year, unless otherwise authorised in writing by the Minister, the Commission shall prepare a report of its activities in the preceding financial year and shall send a copy of such report to the Minister who shall present a copy of every such report to Parliament.

(2) For the year 1976 the Commission shall prepare a report of its activities from the 1st day of January 1976 to the 31st day of March 1977.”; and

(b)

by renumbering subsections (2) and (3) thereof as subsections (3) and (4).

Repeal and re-enactment of section 15

4. Section 15 of the principal Act is hereby repealed and the following substituted therefor: —

“Accounts to be kept

15.—(1) The Commission shall prepare in respect of each financial year ending on the 31st day of March a statement of accounts in a form approved by the Minister.

(2) The Commission shall keep proper accounts and records of its transactions and affairs and shall do all things necessary to ensure that all payments out of its moneys are correctly made and properly authorised and that adequate control is maintained over the assets of, or in the custody of, the Commission and over the expenditure incurred by the Commission.

Appointment and powers of auditor

15A.—(1) The accounts of the Board shall be audited by the Auditor-General.

(2) The Auditor-General shall be entitled to full and free access to all accounting and other records relating directly or indirectly to the financial transactions of the Commission and may make copies of, or extracts from, any such accounting and other records.

(3) The Auditor-General or a person authorised by him may require a person to furnish him with such information which such person possesses or has access to as the Auditor-General or duly authorised person considers necessary for the purposes of the functions of the Auditor-General under this Act.

(4) An officer of the Commission who refuses or fails without reasonable cause to allow the Auditor-General access to any accounting and other records of the Board in his custody or power or to give any information possessed by him as and when required or who otherwise hinders, obstructs or delays the Auditor-General in the performance of his duties or the exercise of his powers shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars and in the case of a continuing offence to a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for every day or part thereof during which the offence is continued after conviction.

Financial statements

15B.—(1) The Commission shall, as soon as practicable after the close of the financial year, prepare and submit the financial statements in respect of that year to the Auditor-General who shall audit and report on them.

(2) The Auditor-General shall report —

(a)	whether or not the financial statements show fairly the financial transactions and the state of affairs of the Commission; and
(b)	on such other matters arising from the audit as he considers necessary.

(3) The Auditor-General shall state in his report whether or not —

(a)	proper accounting and other records have been kept;
(b)	the financial statements are prepared on a basis similar to that adopted for the preceding year;
(c)	the financial statements are in agreement with the accounting and other records; and
(d)	the receipt, expenditure and investment of moneys and the acquisition and disposal of assets by the Commission during the year have been in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Presentation of financial statements and audit reports

15C.—(1) As soon as the accounts of the Commission and the financial statements have been audited in accordance with the provisions of this Act, a copy of the audited financial statements signed by the Chairman and certified by the Auditor-General, together with a copy of any report made by the Auditor-General, shall be submitted to the Minister.

(2) The Minister shall present a copy of the audited financial statements and the report of the Auditor-General to Parliament.”.

Amendment of section 16

5. Subsection (2) of section 16 of the principal Act is hereby amended by inserting immediately before the word “year” wherever appearing therein the word “financial”.

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