NATIONAL COMPUTER BOARD (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister for Finance (Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The National Computer Board (NCB) Act has not been amended since its introduction in 1981, apart from the technical revision in 1985 initiated by the Law Revision Commission. The NCB's responsibilities and range of activities, however, have been enlarged over the years and, in particular, since the formulation of the National Information Technology Plan in 1986. The added responsibilities make it necessary for the Board to expand its membership and amend the description in the NCB Act of the Board's functions and powers.

This Bill seeks to amend parts of the National Computer Board Act to better reflect the functions and priorities of the Board.

The Board proposes that its membership be expanded from the present eight members to 12 members. This is to allow representation from organizations which have been identified as being crucial to the successful implementation of the National Information Technology Plan. With the expansion in membership, it is possible to include major public and private sector users of information technology as well as information technology research and development institutions. Sections 5(1) and 7(1) of the Act will have to be amended to accommodate the proposed expansion.

The NCB has proposed that in section 11(1) of the Act, all references to "computer services industry" to be changed to "computer and computer-based information services industries". This is to extend the scope to include electronic data interchange systems, and other new computer-based information services.

The NCB also proposes to include "information technology" as one of the areas in which the Board can provide consultancy and advisory services. At present, the Act confines the Board's consultancy and advisory services only to "data processing".

The NCB has also included a new function which is "to promote acceptance and usage of information technology in Singapore."

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 Richard Hu Tsu Tau].

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