Exchange Control Act 1953

Source: Singapore Statutes Online | Archived by Legal Wires


Exchange Control Act 1953
2020 REVISED EDITION
This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021
An Act to confer powers, and impose duties and restrictions, in relation to gold, currency, payments, securities, debts, and the import, export, transfer and settlement of property, and for purposes connected with those matters.
[6 August 1964]
PART 1
PRELIMINARY
Short title
1.—(1)  This Act is the Exchange Control Act 1953.
(2)  This Act shall continue in force for a period of one year from the date of the coming into force thereof.
(3)  The Minister may, from time to time, by notification in the Gazette, extend the period of one year mentioned in subsection (2) for such further period or periods as he may think fit.
Interpretation
2.—(1)  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“authorised dealer”, in relation to gold or any foreign currency, means a person for the time being authorised by an order of the Authority to act for the purposes of this Act as an authorised dealer in relation to gold, or, as the case may be, that foreign currency;
“Authority” means the Monetary Authority of Singapore established under section 3 of the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act 1970;
“authorised depositary” means a person for the time being authorised by an order of the Authority to act as an authorised depositary for the purposes of Part 4;
“bank” or “banker” insofar as it relates to a bank or banker in Singapore means any bank licensed under any written law for the time being in force relating to banks;
“bearer certificate” means a certificate of title to securities by the delivery of which (with or without endorsement) the title to the securities is transferable;
“certificate of title to securities” means any document of title whereby a person recognises the title of another to securities issued or to be issued by the firstmentioned person, and in the case of any such document with coupons (whether attached or on separate coupon sheets) includes any coupons which have not been detached;
“coupon” means a coupon representing dividends or interest on a security;
“foreign currency” does not include local currency or any currency or notes issued under the law of any part of the scheduled territories but, save as aforesaid, includes any currency and any notes of a class which are or have at any time been legal tender in any territory outside Singapore, and any reference to foreign currency, except so far as the context otherwise requires, includes a reference to any right to receive foreign currency in respect of any credit or balance at a bank;
“gold” means gold coin and bullion and includes any gold in whatever state or form other than gold which has been materially increased in value by skilled craftsmanship;
“local currency” means currency which is, or has at any time been, legal tender in Singapore but does not include any currency issued by, or under the authority of, the Japanese military authorities;
“offence” means an offence under this Act and includes any contravention of or failure to comply with any order, direction, prohibition, restriction, condition or requirement made, given or imposed under powers conferred by this Act;
“policy of assurance” means any policy securing the payment of a capital sum or annuity on the occurrence of a specified event which is certain to happen and includes —
(a)any policy by which the payment of money is assured on death (except death by accident only) or the happening of any contingency dependent on human life; and
(b)any policy securing the payment of an immediate annuity,
and the reference in this definition to the occurrence of a specified event which is certain to happen includes the occurrence, which is certain to happen, of one of specified events none of which by itself is certain to happen;
“prescribed” means prescribed, for the purposes of the provision in question, by order of the Authority;
“scheduled territories” means the territories specified in the First Schedule, except that the Authority may at any time by order amend that Schedule, either by the addition or exclusion of territories or otherwise;
“secondary securities” has the meaning assigned to it by section 21;
“securities” means shares, stocks, bonds, notes (other than promissory notes), debentures, debenture stocks, units under a unit trust scheme and shares in an oil royalty;
“specified currency” has the meaning assigned to it by section 4 as extended by section 6;
“unit trust scheme” means any arrangements made for the purpose, or having the effect, of providing for persons having funds available for investment, facilities for the participation by them, as beneficiaries under a trust, in profits or income arising from the acquisition, holding, management or disposal of any property whatsoever;
“unit” means, in relation to a unit trust scheme, a right or interest (whether described as a unit, as a sub‑unit or otherwise) which may be acquired under the scheme.
(2)  Any provision of this Act, the effect of which is to prohibit the doing of any act where a person to or by whom the act is to be done or who stands in a specified relation to any property possesses any specified attribute as to residence or otherwise, shall, where the act is done to or by 2 or more persons or, as the case may be, where 2 or more persons stand jointly in that relation to the property, operate to prohibit the doing of that act if any of those persons possess that attribute.
(3)  Any provision of this Act imposing an obligation on any person to do an act if he possesses any specified attribute as to residence or otherwise shall, in relation to any act which can only be done by 2 or more persons jointly —
(a)where all those persons possess that attribute, operate to impose a joint obligation on all of them to do the act; and
(b)where some only of them possess that attribute, operate to impose a separate obligation on each one of them who possesses that attribute to do all he can to secure the doing of the act.
(4)  Any power conferred by this Act to prescribe the declarations which are to be furnished on any occasion shall include a power to require that the declaration shall be made by specified persons and shall be verified in a specified manner.
(5)  Nothing in this Act shall be construed as requiring the Authority to pay any sum otherwise than in local currency or otherwise than in Singapore.
(6)  Any provision of this Act requiring the Authority to pay any sum to any person shall, where that sum is in a specified currency, be construed as a provision that the Authority shall pay to that person the amount in local currency which he would have received for the specified currency if he had sold it to an authorised dealer in pursuance of an offer made under section 4 at the time when that sum is paid.
(7)  The obligations and prohibitions imposed by this Act shall, subject to the express limitations contained therein, apply to all persons notwithstanding that they are not in Singapore and are not citizens of Singapore.
PART 2
GOLD AND FOREIGN CURRENCY
Dealings in gold and foreign currency
3.—(1)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person, other than an authorised dealer, shall in Singapore buy or borrow any gold or foreign currency from, or sell or lend any gold or foreign currency to, any person other than an authorised dealer.
(2)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person resident in the scheduled territories, other than an authorised dealer, shall in Singapore do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to buying or borrowing any gold or foreign currency from, or selling or lending any gold or foreign currency to, any person outside Singapore.
(3)  Where a person buys or borrows any gold or foreign currency in Singapore or, being a person resident in the scheduled territories, does any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to the buying or borrowing of gold or foreign currency outside Singapore, he shall comply with such conditions as to the use to which it may be put or the period for which it may be retained as may from time to time be notified to him by the Authority.
Surrender of gold and foreign currency
4.—(1)  Every person in Singapore who is entitled to sell, or to procure the sale of, any gold, or any foreign currency to which this section applies, and is not an authorised dealer, shall offer it, or cause it to be offered, for sale to an authorised dealer, unless the Authority consents to his retention and use thereof or he disposes thereof to any other person with the permission of the Authority.
(2)  The foreign currency to which this section applies is such foreign currency (referred to in this Act as specified currency) as may from time to time be specified by order of the Authority.
(3)  If a person who has obtained the consent of the Authority to his retention and use of any gold or specified currency, and has stated in an application for the consent that he requires it for a particular purpose, no longer requires the gold or currency for that purpose, subsection (1) shall thereupon apply to him in relation to that gold or currency as if the Authority had revoked its consent to his retention and use thereof.
(4)  A person who acquires any gold or specified currency from an authorised dealer shall be treated for the purposes of this section as if —
(a)the Authority had consented to the retention and use by him of that gold or currency (subject, however, to any conditions notified to him in accordance with section 3(3)); and
(b)any statement made by him in an application for that gold or currency as to the purpose for which he requires it had been made by him in an application for the Authority’s consent to his retention and use thereof.
(5)  Where a person has become bound under this section to offer or cause to be offered any gold or specified currency for sale to an authorised dealer, he shall not be deemed to comply with that obligation by any offer made or caused to be made by him, if the offer is an offer to sell at a price exceeding that authorised by the Authority, or without payment of any usual and proper charges of the authorised dealer, or otherwise on any unusual terms.
(6)  Where a person has become bound under this section to offer or cause to be offered any gold or specified currency for sale to an authorised dealer and has not complied with that obligation, the Authority may direct that that gold or currency shall vest in the Authority, and it shall vest in the Authority accordingly free from any mortgage, pledge or charge.
(7)  The Authority may deal with any gold or specified currency vested in the Authority under subsection (6) as it thinks fit, but the Authority shall pay to the person who would but for the direction be entitled to the gold or currency such sum as he would have received therefor if he had sold it to an authorised dealer in pursuance of an offer made under this section at the time when the vesting occurred.
(8)  In any proceedings in respect of a failure to comply with this section, it shall be presumed, until the contrary is shown, that the gold or currency in question has not been offered for sale to an authorised dealer.
Bailees of gold and foreign currency
5.—(1)  Every person in Singapore by whom or to whose order (whether directly or indirectly) any gold or any specified currency in the form of notes is held in Singapore but who is not entitled to sell it or procure its sale shall notify the Authority in writing that he so holds that gold or currency.
(2)  The Authority may direct any person in Singapore by whom or to whose order (whether directly or indirectly) any gold or any specified currency in the form of notes is held in Singapore, whether or not he is entitled to sell it or procure its sale, to cause that gold or currency to be kept at all times in the custody of such banker as may be specified in the direction.
Travellers’ cheques, etc.
6.—(1)  This section shall apply to any document of a kind intended to enable the person to whom the document is issued to obtain foreign currency from some other person on the credit of the person issuing it, and in particular to any traveller’s cheque or other draft or letter of credit so intended.
(2)  For the purposes of this Act, the person issuing a document to which this section applies, and the person to whom it is issued, shall be deemed respectively to sell and buy foreign currency, and where foreign currency is obtained by means of the document, to sell and buy that foreign currency.
(3)  Any such document not expressed in terms of sterling or local currency shall, if it is of a kind intended to enable the person to whom it is issued to obtain any specified currency, be treated also for the purposes of this Act as itself being a specified currency.
(4)  Every person in Singapore who holds or to whose order there is held any document to which this section applies, being a document expressed in terms of sterling or local currency, shall encash it or cause it to be encashed in the scheduled territories with the person issuing it or with a banker, unless the Authority consents to his retention and use thereof and, where in his application for that consent he has stated that he requires it for a particular purpose, unless also he still requires it for that purpose.
(5)  A person who acquires any document to which subsection (4) applies from an authorised dealer shall be treated for the purposes of that subsection as if —
(a)the Authority had consented to the retention and use by him of that document (subject, however, to any conditions notified to him in accordance with section 3(3)); and
(b)any statement made by him in an application for that document as to the purpose for which he requires it had been made by him in an application for the Authority’s consent to his retention and use thereof.
PART 3
PAYMENTS
Payments in Singapore
7.—(1)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall do any of the following things in Singapore:
(a)make any payment to or for the credit of a person resident outside the scheduled territories;
(b)make any payment to or for the credit of a person resident in the scheduled territories by order or on behalf of a person resident outside the scheduled territories;
(c)place any sum to the credit of any person resident outside the scheduled territories.
(2)  Where a person resident outside the scheduled territories has paid a sum in or towards the satisfaction of a debt due from him, subsection (1)(c) shall not prohibit the acknowledgement or recording of the payment.
Payments outside Singapore
8.—(1)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall in Singapore do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to the making of any payment outside Singapore, to or for the credit of a person resident outside the scheduled territories.
(2)  Nothing in this section shall prohibit the doing of anything otherwise lawful by any person with any foreign currency obtained by him in accordance with the provisions of Part 2 or retained by him in pursuance of a consent of the Authority.
Compensation deals
9.—(1)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall in Singapore make any payment to or for the credit of a person resident in the scheduled territories, or do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to the making of any such payment outside Singapore, as consideration for or in association with —
(a)the receipt by any person of a payment made outside the scheduled territories, or the acquisition by any person of property which is outside the scheduled territories; or
(b)the transfer to any person, or the creation in favour of any person, of a right (whether present or future, and whether vested or contingent) to receive a payment outside the scheduled territories or to acquire property which is outside the scheduled territories.
(2)  Nothing in this section shall prohibit the making of any payment in accordance with the terms of a permission or consent granted under this Act.
PART 4
SECURITIES
Issue of securities
10.—(1)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall in Singapore issue any security or do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to the issuing outside Singapore of any security which is registered or to be registered in Singapore, unless the following requirements are fulfilled:
(a)neither the person to whom the security is to be issued nor the person, if any, for whom he is to be a nominee is resident outside the scheduled territories;
(b)the prescribed evidence is produced to the person issuing the security as to the residence of the person to whom it is to be issued and that of the person, if any, for whom he is to be a nominee.
(2)  The subscription of the memorandum of association of a company to be formed under the Companies Act 1967 by a person resident outside the scheduled territories, or by a nominee for another person so resident, shall, unless he subscribes the memorandum with the permission of the Authority, be invalid insofar as it would on registration of the memorandum have the effect of making him a member of or shareholder in the company.
(3)  Subsection (2) shall not render invalid the incorporation of the company referred to in that subsection.
(4)  If by virtue of subsection (2) the number of the subscribers of the memorandum who on its registration become members of the company is less than the minimum number required to subscribe to the memorandum, the provisions of that Act relating to the carrying on of business of a company the number of whose members is reduced below the legal minimum shall apply to the company as if the number of its members had been so reduced.
Transfer of securities and coupons
11.—(1)  Except with the permission of the Authority, a security registered in Singapore shall not be transferred, and a security not so registered shall not be transferred in Singapore, unless, in either case, the following requirements are fulfilled:
(a)neither the transferor nor the person, if any, for whom he is a nominee is resident outside the scheduled territories;
(b)the transferor delivers to the transferee at or before the time of the transfer the prescribed declarations as to his residence and that of the person, if any, for whom he is a nominee;
(c)neither the transferee nor the person, if any, for whom he is to be a nominee is resident outside the scheduled territories;
(d)except where the security is registered in Singapore otherwise than in a subsidiary register, the Authority is satisfied that the requirements of paragraph (c) are fulfilled.
(2)  Notwithstanding subsection (1) —
(a)neither the transferee nor his agent shall be deemed to have committed an offence by reason only that the requirements of subsection (1)(a) were not fulfilled unless the transferee or, as the case may be, his agent, knew or had reason to believe that those requirements were not fulfilled; and
(b)neither the transferor nor his agent shall be deemed to have committed an offence by reason only that any of the requirements of subsection (1)(c) and (d) have not been fulfilled unless, in the case of a non-fulfilment of the requirements of subsection (1)(c), the transferor or, as the case may be, his agent, knew or had reason to believe that those requirements were not fulfilled.
(3)  Except with the permission of the Authority, a security not registered in Singapore shall not be transferred outside Singapore if either the transferor or the transferee, or the person, if any, for whom the transferor or transferee is or is to be a nominee, is resident in Singapore.
(4)  Except with the permission of the Authority —
(a)no coupon shall be transferred in Singapore if either the transferee or the person, if any, for whom he is to be a nominee is resident outside the scheduled territories; and
(b)no person shall in Singapore do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to the transfer of any coupon outside Singapore if either the transferor or transferee, or the person, if any, for whom the transferor or transferee is or is to be a nominee, is resident in Singapore.
Issue of bearer certificates and coupons
12.—(1)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall in Singapore, issue any bearer certificate or coupon or so alter any document that it becomes a bearer certificate or coupon.
(2)  No person resident in the scheduled territories shall in Singapore do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to, such issue or alteration outside Singapore.
Substitution of securities and certificates outside Singapore
13.  Except with the permission of the Authority —
(a)no person in Singapore shall do any act with intent to secure —
(i)that a security which is —
(A)registered in Singapore; or
(B)transferable by means of a bearer certificate in Singapore,
becomes, or is replaced by, a security registered outside Singapore or a security transferable by means of a bearer certificate outside Singapore; or
(ii)that a certificate of title to any other security, is issued outside Singapore in substitution for or in addition to a certificate of title thereto which is in, or is or has been lost or destroyed in, Singapore; and
(b)no person resident in the scheduled territories shall in Singapore do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to any such transaction outside Singapore as is referred to in paragraph (a)(i) or (ii).
Payment of capital moneys outside Singapore
14.  Except with the permission of the Authority —
(a)no person in Singapore shall do any act with intent to secure that capital moneys payable on a security registered in Singapore are paid outside Singapore, or that, where the certificate of title to a security is in Singapore, capital moneys payable on the security are paid outside Singapore without production of the certificate to the person making the payment; and
(b)no person resident in the scheduled territories shall in Singapore do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to any such transaction outside Singapore as is referred to in paragraph (a).
Duties of persons keeping registers
15.  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person concerned with the keeping of any register in Singapore shall —
(a)enter in the register the name of any person in relation to any security unless there has been produced to him the prescribed evidence that the entry does not form part of a transaction which involves the doing of anything prohibited by this Act;
(b)enter in the register, in respect of any security, an address outside the scheduled territories, except for the purpose of any transaction for which the permission of the Authority has been granted with the knowledge that it involved the entry of that address; or
(c)do any act in relation to the register which recognises or gives effect to any act appearing to him to have been done with such intent as is mentioned in sections 13 and 14, whether done by a person in or resident in Singapore or not.
Additional provisions as to nominee holdings
16.—(1)  Where —
(a)the holder of a security is a nominee and the person for whom he is a nominee is resident outside the scheduled territories; or
(b)the holder of a security is not a nominee and is resident outside the scheduled territories,
then, except with the permission of the Authority, no person resident in Singapore shall do any act whereby the holder becomes his nominee in respect of the security.
(2)  Except with the permission of the Authority, a person resident in Singapore for whom the holder of a security is a nominee shall not do any act whereby —
(a)the holder, being a person resident outside the scheduled territories, holds the security otherwise than as his nominee; or
(b)the holder, not being a person resident outside the scheduled territories, holds the security as nominee for a person resident outside the scheduled territories.
(3)  Where the holder of a security is a nominee, then, except with the permission of the Authority, neither he, if he is resident in Singapore, nor any person resident in Singapore through whose agency the exercise of all or any of the holder’s rights in respect of the security are controlled, shall —
(a)do any act whereby he recognises or gives effect to the substitution of another person as the person from whom he directly receives his instructions unless both the person previously instructing him and the person substituted for that person were, immediately before the substitution, resident in the scheduled territories and not elsewhere; or
(b)do any act whereby he ceases to be a person bound to give effect to the instructions of another person in relation to the security, unless the person who instructed him is resident in the scheduled territories and not elsewhere.
(4)  Where the holder of a security is not a nominee and is resident in Singapore, then, except with the permission of the Authority, he shall not do any act whereby he becomes the nominee of another person in respect of the security, unless that other person is resident in the scheduled territories and not elsewhere.
(5)  No person resident in the scheduled territories shall in Singapore do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to any such transaction outside Singapore as is referred to in this section.
Deposit of certificates of title
17.—(1)  This section and section 18 shall apply to any security except —
(a)a security which is registered in Singapore otherwise than in a subsidiary register, and on which none of the dividends or interest is payable on presentment of a coupon; and
(b)any such other securities as may be prescribed.
(2)  It shall be the duty of every person by whom or to whose order (whether directly or indirectly) a certificate of title is held in Singapore, and of every person resident in Singapore by whom or to whose order (whether directly or indirectly) a certificate of title is held outside Singapore, to cause the certificate of title to be kept at all times, except with the permission of the Authority, in the custody of an authorised depositary.
(3)  Nothing in this Part shall prohibit the doing of anything for the purpose of complying with the requirements of subsection (2).
(4)  Except with the permission of the Authority, an authorised depositary shall not part with any certificate of title or coupon required under this section to be in the custody of an authorised depositary.
(5)  Subsection (4) shall not prohibit an authorised depositary —
(a)from parting with a certificate of title or coupon to or to the order of another authorised depositary, where the person from whom the other authorised depositary is to receive instructions in relation thereto is to be the same as the person from whom he receives instructions;
(b)from parting with a certificate of title, for the purpose of obtaining payment of capital moneys payable on the security, to the person entrusted with payment thereof; or
(c)from parting with a coupon in the ordinary course for collection.
(6)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no capital moneys, interest or dividends shall be paid in Singapore on any security except to or to the order of an authorised depositary having the custody of the certificate of title to that security.
(7)  Subsection (6) shall not be taken as restricting the manner in which any sums lawfully paid on account of the capital moneys, interest or dividends may be dealt with by the person receiving them.
(8)  Except with the permission of the Authority, an authorised depositary shall not do any act whereby he recognises or gives effect to the substitution of one person for another as the person from whom he receives instructions in relation to a certificate of title or coupon, unless there is produced to him the prescribed evidence that he is not by so doing giving effect to any transaction which is prohibited by this Act.
(9)  Where a certificate of title which under this section should, for the time being, be in the custody of an authorised depositary is not in the custody of an authorised depositary, then, except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall in Singapore buy, sell, transfer, or do anything which affects his rights or powers in relation to the security, or do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to any such transaction outside Singapore.
(10)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person in Singapore shall, in the case of a certificate of title with coupons (whether attached or on separate coupon sheets), detach any of the coupons otherwise than in the ordinary course for collection.
(11)  In this section and section 18 —
“certificate of title” means a certificate of title to a security;
“coupon” means a coupon representing dividends or interest on a security;
“security” means a security to which those sections apply.
Additional provisions as to deposited certificates
18.—(1)  Where a certificate of title to a security is by section 17 required to be and is in the custody of an authorised depositary, this section shall, except so far as the Authority otherwise directs, have effect in relation thereto until —
(a)there are delivered to him the prescribed declarations as to the ownership of the security and the residence of the owners thereof; and
(b)in the case of a certificate of title which —
(i)would ordinarily be accompanied by coupons (whether attached or on separate coupon sheets); but
(ii)when it comes into the custody of the authorised depositary, wants, in order to render it complete, any coupons which would not in the ordinary course have been detached for collection,
there have also been deposited with him the coupons so wanting at the time when the certificate of title comes into his custody.
(2)  Where the declarations under subsection (1)(a) have been delivered to an authorised depositary and he has parted with the certificate of title, subsection (1)(a) shall not again apply on the certificate coming into the custody of another authorised depositary or again coming into his own custody.
(3)  Except with the permission of the Authority, the authorised depositary shall not part with or destroy the certificate of title or any coupons belonging thereto, otherwise than as mentioned in section 17(5)(b) and (c) or do any act whereby he recognises or gives effect to the substitution of one person for another as the person from whom he receives instructions in relation thereto.
(4)  Where the person from whom an authorised depositary receives instructions in relation to any certificate of title becomes bankrupt in Singapore or dies, subsection (3) shall not prohibit the authorised depositary from recognising the trustee in bankruptcy or personal representative as the person entitled to give instructions in relation to the certificate of title.
(5)  The authorised depositary shall place any capital moneys, dividends or interest on the security received by him to the credit of the person by virtue of whose authority he received them, but shall not permit any part of the sums received to be dealt with except with the permission of the Authority.
Special provisions as to dealings in certain securities
19.—(1)  The Authority may, if in its opinion there are circumstances rendering it necessary or expedient to do so, by order direct that this section shall apply to such securities as may be prescribed, being securities on which capital moneys, dividends or interest are payable in a specified currency or as respects which the holder has an option to require payment of any capital moneys, dividends or interest thereon in a specified currency.
(2)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall in Singapore transfer, or do anything which affects his rights or powers in relation to, any security to which this section applies.
(3)  No person resident in the scheduled territories shall in Singapore do any act which involves, is in association with or is preparatory to any such transaction outside Singapore.
Validation of certain transfers
20.—(1)  The title of any person to a security for which he has given value on a transfer thereof, and the title of all persons claiming through or under him, shall, notwithstanding that the transfer, or any previous transfer, or the issue of the security, was by reason of the residence of any person concerned other than the firstmentioned person prohibited by the provisions of this Act relating to the transfer or issue of securities, be valid unless the firstmentioned person had notice of the facts by reason of which it was prohibited.
(2)  Without prejudice to subsection (1), the Authority may issue a certificate declaring, in relation to a security, that any acts done before the issue of the certificate purporting to effect the issue or transfer of the security, being acts which were prohibited by this Act, are to be, and are always to have been, as valid as if they had been done with the permission of the Authority, and the acts shall have effect accordingly.
(3)  Nothing in this section shall affect the liability of any person to prosecution for any offence under this Act.
Application of this Part to secondary securities
21.—(1)  This Part shall apply, with such modifications, if any, as may be prescribed, in relation to any such document as is mentioned in subsection (2), as if the document created, and were the certificate of title to, a security (referred to in this Act as a secondary security).
(2)  The documents referred to in subsection (1) are —
(a)any letter of allotment which may be renounced;
(b)any letter of rights;
(c)any warrant conferring an option to acquire a security;
(d)any deposit certificate in respect of securities (but not including a receipt by an authorised depositary for any certificate of title deposited in pursuance of this Part); and
(e)such other documents conferring, or containing evidence of, rights as may be prescribed.
Interpretation of this Part
22.—(1)  In this Part —
“register” includes any book, file or index in which securities are registered;
“registered” includes inscribed;
“registered in Singapore” and “registered outside Singapore” mean respectively registered in a register in, and registered in a register outside, Singapore;
“security which is registered in Singapore otherwise than in a subsidiary register” means a security which either —
(a)is registered in Singapore and is not and cannot without the necessity for an entry in the register in Singapore, become registered outside; or
(b)is registered both in Singapore and outside but on a transfer cannot, without the necessity for an entry in the register in Singapore, become registered outside in the name of the transferee.
(2)  For the purposes of any provision of this Part prohibiting the transfer of securities, a person shall be deemed to transfer a security if he executes any instrument of transfer thereof, whether effective or not, and shall be deemed to transfer it at the place where he executes the instrument.
(3)  References in this Part to the person holding a certificate of title or coupon shall be construed as references to the person having physical custody of the certificate of title or coupon.
(4)  Where the certificate of title or coupon referred to in subsection (3) is deposited with any person in a locked or sealed receptacle from which he is not entitled to remove it without the authority of some other person, that other person shall be deemed for the purposes of this Part to have the physical custody thereof.
(5)  In this Part, “holder” —
(a)in relation to a security transferable by means of a bearer certificate or to a coupon, includes the person holding the certificate or coupon; and
(b)in relation to a security which is registered in the name of a deceased person, or of any person who, by reason of bankruptcy, mental disorder or any other disability, is incapable of transferring the security, means the personal representative, trustee in bankruptcy or other person entitled to transfer the security.
[21/2008]
(6)  The holder of a security or coupon shall be deemed for the purposes of this Part to be a nominee in respect thereof if, as respects the exercise of any rights in respect thereof, he is not entitled to exercise those rights except in accordance with instructions given by some other person.
(7)  References in this Part to the person for whom the holder of a security or coupon is a nominee shall be construed as references to the person who is entitled to give instructions, either directly or through the agency of one or more persons, as to the exercise of any rights in respect of the security or coupon and is not in so doing himself under a duty to comply with instructions given by some other person.
(8)  A person shall not by reason only that he has a controlling interest in a body corporate be deemed for the purposes of subsection (6) to be entitled to give instructions to that body corporate as to the exercise of rights in respect of any security or coupon of which it is the holder.
(9)  A person shall not be deemed to hold a security or coupon as a nominee by reason only that he holds it as trustee if he is entitled to transfer the security or coupon without permission from any other person.
(10)  A certificate of title shall not for the purposes of this Part be treated as in the custody of an authorised depositary if either —
(a)the depositary has no notice of the nature of the certificate; or
(b)the certificate is deposited with him in a locked or sealed receptacle from which he is not entitled to remove it without the authority of some other person.
(11)  Where a certificate of title outside Singapore is by this Part required to be kept in the custody of an authorised depositary, it shall be deemed to be in the custody of an authorised depositary if —
(a)by his direction or with his assent it is in the custody of some other person who holds it on behalf of and to the order of the authorised depositary; and
(b)the certificate is not deposited with that other person in a locked or sealed receptacle from which he is not entitled to remove it without the authority of a person other than himself.
(12)  Where a certificate of title is by virtue of subsection (11) deemed to be in the custody of an authorised depositary, references in this Part to the depositary parting with the certificate or a coupon belonging thereto shall be construed as references to his permitting the person having the actual custody thereof to part with it otherwise than to the depositary, and references to his destroying the certificate or such a coupon shall be construed as references to his permitting it to be destroyed.
PART 5
IMPORT AND EXPORT
Restrictions on import
23.—(1)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall import into Singapore —
(a)such notes as may be specified by order of the Authority, being notes issued by a bank or notes of a class which are or have at any time been legal tender in any territory;
(b)any Treasury bills; or
(c)any certificate of title to any security, including any such certificate which has been cancelled, and any document certifying the destruction, loss or cancellation of any certificate of title to a security.
(2)  In this section and section 24, “note” includes part of a note, “security” includes a secondary security and “coupon” shall be construed in accordance with the meaning of “security”.
General restrictions on export
24.  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall export from Singapore —
(a)any postal orders;
(b)any Treasury bills;
(c)any gold;
(d)any of the following documents (including any such document which has been cancelled):
(i)any certificate of title to a security and any coupon;
(ii)any policy of assurance;
(iii)any bill of exchange or promissory note expressed in terms of a currency other than that of a scheduled territory and payable otherwise than within the scheduled territories;
(iv)any document to which section 6 applies not issued by an authorised dealer or in pursuance of a permission granted by the Authority;
(e)any document certifying the destruction, loss or cancellation of any of the documents referred to in paragraph (d); or
(f)any such articles exported on the person of a traveller or in a traveller’s baggage as may be prescribed.
Payment for exports
25.—(1)  Except with the permission of the Authority, no person shall export any goods of any class or description from Singapore to a destination in such territory as may be prescribed unless the Authority is satisfied —
(a)that payment for the goods has been made to a person resident in Singapore in such manner as may be prescribed in relation to goods of that class or description exported to a destination in that territory, or is to be so made not later than 6 months after the date of exportation; and
(b)that the amount of the payment that has been made or is to be made is such as to represent a return for the goods which is in all the circumstances in accordance with the objects of this Act.
(2)  The Authority may direct that, in cases to which the direction applies, subsection (1)(a) shall have effect as if for the reference to 6 months there were substituted a reference to such longer or shorter period as may be specified in the direction, or as if the words “or is to be so made not later than 6 months after the date of exportation” were omitted.
(3)  For the purpose of satisfying itself in the case of any goods as to the matters specified in subsections (1) and (2), the Authority may require the person making entry of the goods for export to deliver to such officer as it may authorise in that behalf together with the entry such declarations signed by such persons as it may require, and where any such declaration has been so required the goods shall not be exported until it has been so delivered.
(4)  Where the Authority is not satisfied in the case of any goods as to the matters specified in subsection (1)(b), it shall give its reasons to the person making entry of the goods for export and shall take into consideration any representations made by him.
(5)  Any reference in this section to the destination of any goods includes a reference to the ultimate destination thereof.
(6)  In this section, “making entry of the goods for export” means furnishing to the Enterprise Singapore Board established by the Enterprise Singapore Board Act 2018 any such document as may be required by regulations made under section 3(2)(b)(i) of the Regulation of Imports and Exports Act 1995 and “entry” shall be construed accordingly.
[10/2018]
 

Archived for legal research. Authoritative version at sso.agc.gov.sg.