TOURIST PROMOTION BOARD (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

4.01 p.m.

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

The Tourist Promotion Board as at present constituted consists of (a) the Chairman, (b) the Director of the Board, (c) a nominee of the Economic Development Board, (d) a nominee of the Singapore Tourist Association, (e) a public officer appointed by the Minister, and (f) four other members appointed by the Minister to represent tourist enterprises.

It is proposed to amend the constitution of the Board by increasing the number of members appointed by the Minister from four to five and to remove the statutory stipulation that they should represent tourist enterprises.

Tourist enterprises have direct representation on the Board in the person of the nominee of the Singapore Tourist Association. It would be beneficial to the Board to have also as members persons who are actively interested in tourism and might have worthwhile contributions to make but are not themselves directly concerned with the tourist industry.

The Bill will also enable the Tourist Promotion Board, with the approval of the Minister, to establish a scheme for the payment to its employees of pensions, gratuities, provident fund or other superannuation benefits on their death or on their retirement or resignation from the Board as in the case of other statutory boards.

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 Barker]

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