TOURIST PROMOTION BOARD (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

6.33 p.m.

The Minister of State for Finance (Mr Tang See Chim): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Singapore Tourist Promotion Board which was set up in 1964 is now well on its way to being firmly established as the major organisation for promoting Singapore internationally as a tourist centre. To finance its opera-lions, the Board collects a three per cent cess on hotel charges and on the sale of food and drinks in the Republic's higher class tourist establishments. The annual income of the Board is about $5 million, of which $3 million has been set aside for overseas promotion during the current fiscal year. This is some $1.7 million more than the sum budgeted for promotional work for the last fiscal year, and it is aimed not only at intensifying the international advertising and promotion programme but also at setting up new overseas representations, one in Frankfurt and one in New York possibly, to supplement the efforts of existing ones in Tokyo, Sydney and San Francisco.

Whilst the Board is successfully promoting Singapore as a tourist centre internationally, there is a great need to co-ordinate the efforts of the various promotional agencies in Singapore, so that Singapore can be promoted as a tourist centre in the most effective manner possible by both Government and the private sector. Furthermore, there is a pressing need to develop within Singapore those touristy facilities which would result in tourists extending their stay in the Republic by an additional day or two with consequential benefits to hotel occupancy rates.

To bring together in one co-ordinated effort the promotional efforts of the various private organisations engaged in the tourist business with those of Government, the Tourist Promotion Board Act is being amended to enable any person, who is carrying on the business of a tourist enterprise, to become an Associate Member of the Board's organisation. Two Associate Members will he appointed to the Tourist Promotion Board to advise on policy matters as well as on operations. Whilst Associate membership will give certain advantages, as all Associate Members will stand to gain by way of publicity and business, it will alto entail the responsibility of the member for maintaining high standards at all times in the conduct of his business and adherence to any regulations made by the Board governing touristy operations. In anticipation of the coming into effect of this scheme of Associate membership to the Tourist Promotion Board, the Singapore Tourist Association has dissolved itself so that its members, comprising various tourist establishments from the private sector, can join the organisation of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board.

In keeping with the objective of making the stay of a tourist here a comfortable and a satisfying one, the Tourist Promotion Board Act is also being amended to regulate and control tourist and travel business in Singapore. These amendments prohibit a person from describing his business or activities as a tourist or travel agency, without the prior approval of the Tourist Promotion Board. The amendments also restrict a person from using the words "tourist" or "travel" except with the prior permission of the Board. The purpose of this is to prevent those persons operating social escort agencies from describing their activities as tourist services. Further, to keep the travel business in Singapore in a healthy state, travel agencies will in future be licensed. AU these measures are designed to protect the tourist from exploitation and to ensure that during his stay in Singapore he will only be exposed to bona fide travel agencies or tour operators.

Another amendment to the Tourist Promotion Board Act enables the Board to acquire shares in any company or to invest in any business which will promote the tourist trade in Singapore. Such direct financial participation by the Board will accelerate the development of the necessary touristy facilities in Singapore which are necessary to support the overseas promotional programme. This will not only encourage more tourists to come to Singapore but also to prolong their stay here.

Other amendments, as proposed, seek to prevent the indiscriminate use of the Board's official symbol, the Merlion, and to protect funds credited to any superannuation scheme or provident fund established by the Board for its employees from being utilised for the payment of an employee's debts should he be made a bankrupt.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim (Kallang): Mr Speaker, Sir, is the Minister of State for Finance aware that some social escorts are also called "girl guides", and that the service they provide is called "girl guide service"? Furthermore, will this law prohibit the use of the term "girl guides"?

Mr Speaker: Are they called girl' guides?

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim: Yes. Some social escorts in Singapore call themselves girl guides.

Mr Tang See Chim: Sir, I think this matter is well out of my province. Perhaps the Member could address it to the Girl Guides Association.

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim: Sir, if the Minister of State for Finance had been reading the advertisement columns in the newspapers, he would have come across that term.

Mr Tang See Chim: Sir, the Board's jurisdiction is confined to tourist promotion and, of course, within that sphere it will do its best to see that tourists who come to Singapore have an enjoyable holiday and that their stay here is as comfortable as possible. If it comes to our notice that certain organisations are, in fact, using the term "girl guides" or whatever -description to hoodwink the tourists, then, of course, my Ministry will see to it that they do not do so.

Mr Cheong Yuen Chee (Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would just like to -draw the attention of the Minister of State for Finance to the provisions of the new sections 15D and l9C. Sir, you will notice that the penalty imposed on any business, which describes itself as a tourist service without the permission of the Board, carries a higher penalty than a business which makes use of the symbol of the Board. However, I believe that the latter offence is more serious. And in this respect, the penalty is only a fine, and there is no additional provision of a term of imprisonment as provided for under the new section l5D. May I -seek clarification from the Minister of State for Finance?

Mr Tang See Chim: Sir, the provisions of the Bill have been carefully considered, and it is thought that a fine would be a sufficient penalty for the contravention of the provision on the use of the Board's symbol of the Merlion, and no imprisonment is necessary. However, if we find that such penalty is inadequate, an amendment can always be made to the law.

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 Tang See Chim].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

6.43 p.m.

Clause 1 -

The Chairman: The citation year "1971", appearing in page 1, line 4, is to be altered to "1972". This will be done.

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 2 to 5 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 6 -

Mr Tang See Chim: Mr Speaker. Sir, I beg to move,

In page 7, line 16, to leave out "reasonably" and insert "unreasonably".

Sir, this is just to correct a grammatical error.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 6, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 7 to 9 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported with an amendment; read a Third time and passed.