PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Acting Minister for National Development (Mr Lim Hng Kiang): Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The main objective of the Professional Engineers (Amendment) Bill is similar to that of the Architects (Amendment) Bill, ie, to liberalise the requirements for licensing consultancy companies. The Bill seeks to amend two provisions of the Professional Engineers Act.

First, it seeks to remove the professional-shareholding requirement for professional engineering consultancy companies; and, second, it seeks to allow persons other than allied professionals to be appointed as directors of consultancy companies, subject to the Chairman and not less than two-thirds of the directors being allied professionals registered in Singapore.

Sir, the rationale for moving this Bill is exactly the same as that for the Architects (Amendment) Bill. As with the Architects Act, the same four licensing requirements for corporate practice are also provided under section 20(1) of the Professional Engineers Act, which was enacted in 1991. Again, for the same reason, in 1991, the Ministry of National Development decided on a gradual approach to liberalise the licensing requirements for professional engineering companies.

With 40 licensed professional engineering consultancy companies now in practice, consultancy companies are now an accepted vehicle for provision of professional engineering services. The engineering profession is now ready for further liberalisation of the conditions governing consultancy companies.

As with the Architects (Amendment) Bill, this Bill seeks to amend the Professional Engineers Act to allow appointment of non-professionals as directors of consultancy companies.

This Bill also seeks to amend section 10(5) of the Professional Engineers Act to restrict the offering to supply of professional engineering services to only registered professional engineers or allied professionals. Currently, the restriction is on the supply of professional engineering services. This amendment will bring the Professional Engineers Act in line with the Architects Act.

The Professional Engineers (Amendment) Bill is necessary to allow our consultancy companies to grow and to compete internationally.

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 Lim Hng Kiang].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair]

Clause 1 -

The Chairman: In page 1, line 4, the citation year will be changed to 1995 as indicated in the Order Paper Supplement.

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 2 to 4 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

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