TARIFF ADVISORY COMMISSION BILL (As reported from Select Committee)

Order for Third Reading read.

2.48 p.m.

The Minister for Finance (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

When I moved the Second Reading of the Bill, Mr Speaker, Sir, I had a feeling that this Bill might well arouse a raging controversy between the Singapore traders on the one hand and the Singapore manufacturers on the other. This Bill seeks to regulate the manner in which a Tariff Advisory Commission is to conduct its investigations on any proposals to impose tariffs in Singapore. As such, therefore, the Bill seeks to change from time to time the free port status of Singapore. There was an expectation then that a controversy might rage between the upholders of a 100 per cent free port status of Singapore on the one hand, and the manufacturers who want to see new industries as fast as possible on the other hand.

When the Bill was sent to Select Committee, the usual processes were set on foot, including advertisements in the papers asking for views of interested parties. A strange thing then happened. There was absolutely no response to these advertisements and the closing date for reception of memoranda had to be extended. Finally, two parties made their submissions, namely, the Joint Chambers of Commerce, who were somewhat apprehensive of the provisions of this Bill, and the Singapore Manufacturers' Association, who welcomed the general provisions of the Bill.

We had a fairly cordial and friendly discussion with the interested parties in Select Committee, as a result of which two amendments were introduced and approved by Select Committee. May I draw the attention of the House to these two amendments? They are in clause 6. There is an addition to clause 6 and the additional sentence reads as follows - I should mention that clause 6 allows the Commission to co-opt, on an ad hoc basis, two or more persons with special knowledge of the subject at the inquiry. An amendment was made to this clause to allow and, in fact, to make it compulsory that one of these persons shall represent industrial interests and the other shall represent trading interests. This amendment was made after the Select Committee heard the views of the representors and agreed that they had a strong case. So clause 6 contains this additional sentence which reads:

`At least one of such persons shall be a person representing industrial interests and one other shall be a person representing trading interests.'

The other amendment occurs in clause 9 (2) (a) (ii) in page A3, line 27 of the Report of the Select Committee on the Bill. This gives effect to the proposal tabled by the Member for Tanglin who desires that the Commission should investigate, among other things, the effect of tariffs on the general level of employment in Singapore. And this, I think, Members of the House will agree is a completely unexceptional request and accordingly the Government agrees to the inclusion of this amendment.

The other clauses do not call for any comment from me at this stage as they have been dealt with adequately, I think, on the Second Reading.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.