SINGAPORE SPORTS COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister for Social Affairs (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Singapore Sports Council (Amendment) Bill, 1977, seeks to repeal and re-enact section 16 of the Act which deals with pension benefits for employees of the Council.

When the Singapore Sports Council was established in October 1973, pensionable Government officers who were with the National Sports Promotion Board and the National Stadium Corporation were given the option to transfer their service to the Singapore Sports Council. On their transfer, they commenced contributing to the Central Provident Fund. This Bill has provisions to safeguard any pension, gratuity, provident fund or other superannuation benefit for which such officers were eligible before their transfer to the service of the Council.

Under the Bill, the Singapore Sports Council is also empowered to establish, with the approval of the Minister, schemes for the payment of pensions, gratuities, provident fund or other superannuation benefits to such employees of the Council as it may determine. When the officers retire, their gratuities, pensions and allowances will be calculated on the total service with both Government and the Council. The portion relating to the length of service with the Government will be borne by the Government.

The Bill in re-enacting section 16 of the Act will place transferred officers now in the service of the Council on the same footing as ex-Government officers who have been transferred to the service of other statutory boards, as far as retirement benefits are concerned.

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. - [Dr Ahmad Mattar].

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