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Singapore Armed Forces Act

(Chapter 295, Section 205(v))

Singapore Armed Forces (Central Welfare Fund) Regulations

Rg 15

G.N. No. S 309/1995

REVISED EDITION 2001

(31st January 2001)

[14th July 1995]

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Singapore Armed Forces (Central Welfare Fund) Regulations.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Fund” means the Singapore Armed Forces Central Welfare Fund established under regulation 3;

“member” means a member of the Singapore Armed Forces and includes operationally ready national servicemen, volunteers, retired servicemen and full-time civilian staff working in the Ministry of Defence;

“Welfare Council” means the Singapore Armed Forces Welfare Council established under regulation 5.

Singapore Armed Forces Central Welfare Fund

3. There is hereby established a fund to be known as the Singapore Armed Forces Central Welfare Fund.

Objects and purposes

4. The objects and purposes of the Fund are —

(a)	to provide welfare services to members;
(b)	to provide scholarships, bursaries and other educational awards to members and their children;
(c)	to provide loans to members to meet their urgent needs;
(d)	to provide financial assistance to assist a member or his family in the event of the death of the member or his next-of-kin;
(e)	to finance welfare programmes organised by the Welfare Council to promote the welfare of members;
(f)	to provide recreational activities for members;
(g)	to maintain and upgrade basic amenities and recreation facilities in members’ workplaces;
(h)	to provide incentive awards for members; and
(i)	to provide for such other charitable purposes or activities as the Welfare Council may determine.

Singapore Armed Forces Welfare Council

5.—(1) There shall be established a council to be known as the Singapore Armed Forces Welfare Council which shall consist of —

(a)	the Chief of Defence Force who shall be the Chairman;
(b)	the Chief of Army;
(c)	the Chief of Air Force;
(d)	the Chief of Navy;
(e)	the Director, Manpower;
(f)	the Director, Legal Services;
(g)	the Head, Singapore Armed Forces Personnel Services Centre who shall be the Secretary;
(h)	the Paymaster, Singapore Armed Forces who shall be the Honorary Treasurer; and
(i)	such other members as are nominated by the Chairman and appointed by the Armed Forces Council.

(2) At any meeting of the Welfare Council, 3 members shall constitute a quorum.

(3) The Welfare Council shall set policies relating to the welfare of members and the control and management of the Fund, including the opening of bank accounts, approval and write-off authority for the Fund and waiver of charges.

(4) The Welfare Council may undertake welfare schemes, projects and enterprises including those of a commercial nature, and establish procedures and guidelines for their implementation.

(5) The Welfare Council may appoint welfare sub-committees to facilitate the promotion of welfare.

Income

6.—(1) The sources of income of the Fund shall be —

(a)	the sources specified in the Schedule; and
(b)	any other source which the Minister for Finance may authorise.

(2) The management and operation of the Fund shall be in accordance with the provisions of General Orders of MINDEF Number 404-08-01 or other General Orders of MINDEF made from time to time by the Armed Forces Council, and such guidelines as the Welfare Council may, from time to time, make.

(3) All moneys received for the Fund shall be paid into one or more banks to current accounts or savings accounts or both in the name of the “Singapore Armed Forces Central Welfare Fund” or “Singapore Armed Forces Welfare Council”.

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3), the Armed Forces Council may, from time to time, direct that any moneys of the Fund not immediately required for carrying out the objects of the Fund be placed in a deposit account or invested in any investment that trustees may by any written law be authorised to invest.

(5) The Welfare Council may invest the Fund within the guidelines set by the Armed Forces Council and the interests or dividends or profits received from such investments shall accrue to the Fund.

(6) No payment shall be made out of the Fund except with the approval of 2 of the following persons:

(a)	the Chairman of the Welfare Council;
(b)	the Honorary Treasurer of the Welfare Council;
(c)	the Secretary of the Welfare Council; and
(d)	an officer appointed in writing by the Chairman of the Welfare Council.

(7) The Welfare Council may appoint sub-committees to carry out investment activities.

Statement of accounts

7.—(1) The Welfare Council shall maintain —

(a)	a Central Welfare Fund cash book showing all amounts received, the sources and dates on which such amounts were received and details of all payments with the date of and authority for such payments; and
(b)	appropriate ledger accounts.

(2) The Welfare Council shall keep a loans ledger into which the amount of loans granted, amounts outstanding together with particulars of individual loans, interest thereon and repayments shall be recorded.

(3) The Welfare Council shall submit annual statements of accounts to the Armed Forces Council.

(4) The accounts shall be audited half yearly by a board of Singapore Armed Forces officers, consisting of a President who shall be of or above the rank of Major and 2 members who shall be of or above the rank of Lieutenants.

(5) The accounts shall be audited annually by the Internal Audit Department of the Ministry of Defence and the audit report shall be presented to the Armed Forces Council.

(6) The accounts shall be subject to audit by the Auditor-General under the Audit Act (Cap. 17).

Dissolution of Fund

8. The Fund may be dissolved on the direction of the Armed Forces Council and, upon dissolution, any remaining moneys shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.