CONTROL OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS (AMENDMENT) BILL

2.33 p.m.

The Minister for Finance (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to introduce a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to amend the Control of Imports and Exports Ordinance (Chapter 214 of the Revised Edition)."

Bill read the First time.

Second Reading

Mr Speaker: Second Reading, what day?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Now, Sir. I lay upon the Table a Certificate of Urgency signed by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara in respect of the Control of Imports and Exports (Amendment) Bill, 1961.

Certificate of Urgency handed in.

Mr Speaker: The Certificate is in order. Are typed copies of the Bill available for the use of Members?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Yes.

Typed copies of the Bill handed in to the Clerk and distributed to hon. Members.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Mr Speaker. Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This Bill seeks to make the Control of Imports and Exports Ordinance a permanent Ordinance. The Ordinance was promulgated on 8th December, 1950, initially for one year. It has since been extended for ten further periods of a year each and will expire on 7th December, 1961.

Although the Ordinance provides that the Assembly may extend its operation for such period or periods as it may think fit, in practice extensions have been for periods of one year. The Ordinance empowers the Minister to make orders to regulate or prohibit the import and export of goods. The reason why this Ordinance had such a temporary nature at the time it was introduced was due to the opposition from the trading community who feared that controls, if made permanent, would be detrimental to trade and Singapore's free port status.

During the past ten years, most import and export regulations have been removed and those at present in being are imposed mainly for health, security and exchange control reasons. In present world conditions, the power to exercise controls on imports and exports is one maintained by all trading countries as being essential in a lesser or greater degree to the requirement of their economic policies concerning trade and industry. In the interest of the economy of the State of Singapore. it is necessary that the Government should have the powers to restrict or direct imports and exports as might be required.

My Trade and Commerce Advisory Council, which is composed of representatives of the four Chambers of Commerce, has been consulted and has no objection to the proposal that the Ordinance be made a permanent one. As matters now stand, it is necessary to extend the life of the Ordinance from time to time. It is considered that this procedure takes up unduly the time of the House and that the basic reason for its temporary nature, namely, the fear of the trading community over controls, has now been allayed over these last ten years.

For these reasons, it is proposed to make the Ordinance a permanent statute of the State, but in so moving, I wish to assure the House that as before the powers under the Ordinance will only be exercised after careful examination and with due consideration to the needs of Singapore's trade.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Mr David Marshall (Anson): Mr Speaker, Sir, I acknowledge that the powers of this Ordinance have been exercised with moderation and for the welfare of the State. I fully appreciate the reasons which our Finance Minister has given for making it a permanent Ordinance and I am fully with him in every one of the reasons indicated. What I cannot understand, Sir, is that this Bill should be brought under a Certificate of Urgency. Our Standing Orders provide that a Certificate of Urgency may be utilised, and it has all along been envisaged that it could be utilised for matters of urgency which cannot await a lengthy debate or a postponement of a month. Here in this case the Minister must agree with me that there is, in so far as one can ascertain, no urgency of any character whatsoever. There is no question of the Bill lapsing in any shape or form. [Interruption]. It is to lapse shortly. Well, I am interested, Sir, to be corrected, perhaps not in a quite procedural manner. In that statement, the Minister did not see fit to tell us that the Bill was about to lapse; but if that were so, would it not have been appropriate to bring this up at an earlier stage?

I do urge the Government - we have had two Bills in this Session and in both there were Certificates of Urgency - that when it comes to exercising the very unusual powers in the Standing Orders, they should not utilise that power unless absolutely essential.

Mr Speaker: Dr Goh, in reply?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Mr Speaker, Sir, perhaps the Member for Anson did not hear the words in the beginning of my speech and I may be permitted to repeat that section of it. I said:

`The Ordinance was promulgated on 8th December, 1950, initially for one year. It has since been extended for ten further periods of a year each and will expire on 7th December, 1961.'

That is the reason why this Bill must be taken through all stages under a Certificate of Urgency.

We had, of course, originally intended that the Bill should he presented to the House some months ago but events have been such that it was not possible to place this Bill before the House then. Finally we are caught very short time and have to follow this procedure of urgency. I can assure the Member for Anson that there is no intention at all to pull a fast one either over this House or over the public.

This is really not a controversial matter for reasons already stated. We have the assent of leaders of the trading community, and it is clear to both the Government and leaders of the trading community that the best course now open to us is to put this Bill on the permanent Statute.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole Assembly.

Assembly immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.- [ Dr Goh Keng Swee].

Bill considered in Committee; reported, without amendment read a Third time and passed.