LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (AMENDMENT) BILL

LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (AMENDMENT) BILL: Order for Second Reading read.

3.45 pm

The Minister for Transport (Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the Bill seeks to amend the Land Transport Authority of Singapore Act (LTA Act) to enable the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to market its expertise overseas.

Let me elaborate on this new function and highlight the key provisions in the Bill for the proposed amendment.

Currently, LTA markets its expertise through its subsidiary, MSI Global Private Limited (MSI), set up under the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Act (repealed in September 1995 when LTA was formed). There is no provision in the LTA Act that allows LTA to market its expertise overseas. This is because, except for two situations, LTA's functions under the LTA Act are geographically confined to Singapore. Hence, LTA's powers are correspondingly limited. This is in contrast to

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other statutory boards, such as JTC, which have been expressly empowered by its respective legislation to export its expertise.

With the expected growth in demand for land transport infrastructure construction, especially in China and India, the amendments to the LTA Act, namely, clauses 2 and 3 of the Bill, will provide LTA with the flexibility to market its expertise overseas as and when such opportunities arise.

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.

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** [Mr Speaker in the Chair] **

The Chairman: **** The citation year "2006" will be changed to "2007", as indicated in the Order Paper Supplement.

Clauses 1 to 3 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.