Government Contracts Bill

Bill No. 42/1966

Read the first time on 26th October 1966.

An Act to provide for the making of contracts on behalf of the Government and for matters connected therewith.

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 Government Contracts Act, 1966, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Contracts on behalf of the Government

2.—(1) All contracts made in Singapore for or on behalf of the Government shall, if reduced to writing, be made in the name of the Government and may be signed by a Minister or by any public officer duly authorised in writing by the Minister for Finance, either specially in any particular case, or generally for all contracts below a certain value in his Ministry or department.

(2) In making such authorisation under subsection (1) of this section it shall be sufficient for the Minister for Finance to name the office held by such public officer and the Minister may cause such authorisation to be published in the Gazette.

Contracts made outside Singapore

3. All contracts made outside Singapore for or on behalf of the Government by a person either generally or specially authorised in writing in that behalf by the Minister for Finance shall, so far as they come within the jurisdiction of the courts in Singapore, be deemed to be Government contracts.

No other contracts to be binding

4. No contracts, made after the coming into operation of this Act, shall be binding upon the Government, unless entered into in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Limitation of personal liability of public officer

5. No public officer shall be liable to be sued personally upon any contract which he makes in that capacity; but a public officer shall be personally liable when he expressly pledges his personal credit or where he contracts otherwise than as the agent of the Government.

Provision in respect of land

6.—(1) Grants and leases of State lands and leases made under the provisions of the Foreshores Ordinance (Cap. 246) shall be signed by a Collector of Land Revenue.

(2) Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to affect the provisions of any written law in Singapore as to the use or occupation of State land.

Government Contracts Ordinance, 1949, of Malaysia to cease to apply

7. The Government Contracts Ordinance, 1949 (Ord. 67 of 1949), of Malaysia shall cease to apply to Singapore.

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