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Date of coming into operation: 1st November 2007
An Act to establish the Accounting Standards Council to issue accounting standards applicable to companies and other incorporated and unincorporated bodies, to provide for accounting standards applicable to statutory bodies with a public function and for matters connected therewith, and to make consequential and related amendments to the Companies Act (Chapter 50 of the 2006 Revised Edition) and certain other written laws.
Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title and commencement
1. This Act may be cited as the Accounting Standards Act 2007 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
Interpretation
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires -
"accounting standard" means -
(a) an accounting standard made or formulated by the Council under Part III; or
(b) an accounting standard for statutory bodies established by the Accountant-General under Part IV;
"Chairman" means the Chairman of the Council appointed under section 4 (1) (a), and includes any temporary Chairman of the Council if so appointed;
"company" means any company incorporated under the Companies Act (Cap. 50) or any corresponding previous written law, and includes a foreign company registered under Division 2 of Part XI of that Act in respect of its operations in Singapore;
"Council" means the Accounting Standards Council established under section 3;
"making or formulating" , in relation to any accounting standard, includes amending and revoking the accounting standard;
"member" , in relation to the Council, means a member of the Council and includes the Chairman thereof;
"Minister" means the Minister charged with the responsibility for finance;
"statutory body" means a body -
(a) established or constituted by or under a public Act;
(b) that has a public function; and
(c) whose annual report and audited financial statements are required by written law to be presented to Parliament.
PART II
ACCOUNTING STANDARDS COUNCIL
Establishment and functions of Accounting Standards Council
3. (1) There shall be established a body to be known as the Accounting Standards Council whose functions shall be -
(a) to make or formulate statements of standard accounting practice (referred to in this Act as accounting standards) applicable to companies for the purposes of the Companies Act (Cap. 50); and
(b) to make or formulate accounting standards applicable to such other entities as are specified in section 8 (1).
(2) In addition to the functions imposed by subsection (1), the Council may undertake such other functions (not incompatible with those specified in subsection (1)) as the Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, assign to the Council and, in so doing -
(a) the Council shall be deemed to be fulfilling the purposes of this Act; and
(b) the provisions of this Act shall apply to the Council in respect of those functions.
Constitution of Council
4. (1) The Council shall consist of the following members, all of whom shall be appointed by the Minister:
(a) a Chairman; and
(b) at least 10 but not more than 15 other members.
(2) A person shall not be appointed as a member of the Council unless the person's knowledge of, or experience in, business, accounting, law or government or other relevant fields qualifies him for the appointment.
(3) The Chairman and other members of the Council shall each hold office for such period (not exceeding 2 years) and on such terms and conditions as the Minister may determine, and shall be eligible for reappointment.
(4) The Minister may appoint any member of the Council to be a temporary Chairman during the temporary incapacity from illness or otherwise, or during the temporary absence from Singapore, of the Chairman.
(5) The Minister may, at any time, revoke the appointment of the Chairman or any other member of the Council if he considers such revocation necessary in the interest of the effective performance of the functions of the Council under this Act or in the public interest.
(6) A member of the Council may resign from his office at any time by giving not less than one month's notice in writing to the Minister.
(7) If any vacancy occurs in the membership of the Council, the Minister may, subject to subsections (1) and (2), appoint a person to fill the vacancy.
Meetings and proceedings of Council
5. (1) The Council shall meet for the despatch of business at such times and places as the Chairman may from time to time appoint.
(2) At every meeting of the Council, one half of the number of its members shall constitute a quorum.
(3) The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Council, but if the Chairman is absent from a meeting -
(a) the temporary Chairman; or
(b) if there is no temporary Chairman, such member as the members present may elect,
shall preside at that meeting.
(4) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Council may regulate its own proceedings.
Appointment of committees and delegation of powers
6. (1) The Council may, in its discretion, appoint from among its own members or from among other persons such number of committees as it thinks fit for purposes which, in the opinion of the Council, would be more expediently carried out or managed by means of such committees.
(2) The chairman of every committee appointed under subsection (1) shall be a member of the Council.
(3) The Council may, subject to such conditions or restrictions as it thinks fit, delegate -
(a) to any of its members; or
(b) to any committee appointed by it under subsection (1),
any of the functions or powers of the Council under this Act or any other written law, except the power of delegation conferred by this section.
(4) Any function or power delegated under subsection (3) to any member or committee may be performed or exercised by that member or committee in the name and on behalf of the Council.
(5) No delegation under this section shall prevent the performance or exercise of any function or power by the Council.
Directions by Minister
7. The Minister may give to the Council such directions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, as he thinks fit as to the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers, and the Council shall comply with such directions.
PART III
ACCOUNTING STANDARDS FOR COMPANIES AND OTHER ENTITIES
Accounting standards
8. (1) Accounting standards made or formulated by the Council may be expressed to apply -
(a) to all companies or specified classes or descriptions of companies;
(b) to all co-operative societies registered under the Co-operative Societies Act (Cap. 62) or specified classes or descriptions of such co-operative societies;
(c) to all societies registered under the Societies Act (Cap. 311) or specified classes or descriptions of such societies; and
(d) to all charities registered, and all institutions of a public character approved or deemed approved, under the Charities Act (Cap. 37) or specified classes or descriptions of such charities or institutions of a public character.
(2) Such accounting standards may be of general or specially limited application, and differ according to differences in time, place or circumstance.
(3) The Council may, from time to time, issue practice directions on the interpretation of the accounting standards made or formulated under this Part and on matters relating to them and their use in Singapore.
(4) An accounting standard that was in force under section 200A of the Companies Act (Cap. 50) immediately before the date of commencement of subsection (1) (a), and any practice directions issued by the Accounting Standards Committee under that section, shall continue in force after that date as if it had been made or formulated by the Council under this Part after that date.
Manner of making, etc., accounting standards
9. (1) In making or formulating accounting standards, the Council shall have the following objects:
(a) the development of accounting standards that require the provision of financial information that -
(i) assist directors of companies and officers of other entities referred to in section 8 (1) to discharge their duties and obligations in relation to financial reporting under the Companies Act or any other written law;
(ii) is relevant to assessing performance, financial position, financing and investment;
(iii) is relevant and reliable;
(iv) facilitates comparability; and
(v) is readily understandable; and
(b) to maintain investor confidence in the Singapore economy (including its capital markets).
(2) In making and formulating accounting standards, the Council -
(a) shall have regard to the suitability of a proposed accounting standard for different types of entities referred to in section 8 (1);
(b) may apply different accounting requirements to the different types of entities; and
(c) shall ensure that there are appropriate accounting standards for each type of entity that must comply with accounting standards.
(3) A failure to comply with this Part in relation to the making or formulation of an accounting standard shall not affect the validity of the standard.
Evidence of text of accounting standards
10. (1) Where an accounting standard is made or formulated by the Council under this Part, the Council shall -
(a) publish a notice of the making or formulation of the accounting standard in such manner as will secure adequate publicity for such making or formulation;
(b) specify in the notice referred to in paragraph (a) -
(i) the date of such making or formulation;
(ii) the class or description of company or other entity specified in section 8 (1) or otherwise in respect of which the accounting standard is made or formulated; and
(iii) the place at and the time during which the accounting standard which is the subject of the notice may be inspected; and
(c) ensure that, so long as the accounting standard remains in force, copies of that accounting standard, and of all amendments to that accounting standard, are available for inspection by members of the public free of charge, and for purchase by members of the public at a reasonable price.
(2) No accounting standard, no amendment thereto and no revocation thereof shall have any force or effect as an accounting standard under this Act or for the purposes of any other written law until the notice relating thereto is published in accordance with subsection (1).
(3) Without affecting any other method of proof, in any proceedings under any written law -
(a) the production of a document purporting to be a copy of a notice published by the Council under subsection (1) (a) shall be proof of such a notice until the contrary is proved; and
(b) the production of a document purporting to be an accounting standard made or formulated by the Council as in force at a specified time, or an amendment or a revocation by the Council of such an accounting standard, and to be the subject of a notice under subsection (1) (a), and that is certified by the Chairman under his hand to be a true copy of or extract from any accounting standard made or formulated, amended or revoked by the Council, shall be proof, until the contrary is proved, that -
(i) the specified accounting standard or the amendment thereto was in force at that time or the revoked accounting standard was not in force, as the case may be; and
(ii) the text set out in the document is the text of the accounting standard.
PART IV
ACCOUNTING STANDARDS FOR STATUTORY BODIES
Accountant-General to establish accounting standards
11. (1) The Accountant-General may establish one or more accounting standards about the following:
(a) the statements of standard accounting practice applicable to statutory bodies; and
(b) the content of financial statements and annual reports required to be prepared by statutory bodies.
(2) Before establishing an accounting standard under subsection (1), the Accountant-General shall have regard to relevant accounting standards issued by the Council under this Act or by any appropriate professional bodies.
(3) The Accountant-General may establish an accounting standard under this Part -
(a) by issuing the text of an accounting standard, which may or may not be an accounting standard made or formulated by the Council under Part III; or
(b) by modifying the text of any accounting standard referred to in paragraph (a) to the extent necessary to take account of the legal or institutional environment for statutory bodies.
(4) An accounting standard established under subsection (1) shall apply to such periods as may be specified in the standard.
Statutory bodies to comply with accounting standards
12. The accounts and financial statements of every statutory body specified in the First Schedule shall be prepared in compliance with such accounting standards as are established under this Part and notified in writing to the statutory body by the Accountant-General.
PART V
MISCELLANEOUS
Amendment of First Schedule
13. (1) The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, amend the First Schedule.
(2) Every order made under subsection (1) shall be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication in the Gazette.
Rules
14. The Minister may make rules for carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act, including rules for or with respect to all or any of the following matters:
(a) the holding of meetings by the Council, the notice to be given of such meetings and the proceedings thereat, the keeping of minutes, and the custody, production and inspection of such minutes;
(b) the opening, keeping, closing and auditing of the Council"s accounts.
Consequential and related amendments to other Acts
15. The provisions of the Acts specified in the first column of the Second Schedule are amended in the manner set out in the second column thereof.
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