Singapore, 6 November 2023 – On 31 October 2023, Singapore Customs conducted two operations in Kampong Ampat and Lorong 17 Geylang respectively.

Three male Singaporeans aged 23, 35 and 59 were arrested and 5,800 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $646,207.

Kampong Ampat

At a carpark located in Kampong Ampat, Customs officers saw a male driver alighting from a van. They moved in and uncovered 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes in the van.

The 23-year-old man was arrested, and the duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. Investigations are ongoing.

Geylang

At Lorong 17 Geylang, a driver and two passengers were seen alighting from a van. Following checks, Customs officers uncovered 3,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes in the vehicle. A follow-up search at the driver’s residence led to another 400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and were seized. The 59-year-old male driver and 35-year-old male passenger were arrested. Another passenger, a 35-year-old woman, was requested to assist with investigations.

Separately, the trio were found in possession of sachets containing substances suspected to be controlled drugs and 2 drug paraphernalia. This matter was referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau for further investigation. 4 Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the GST Act.

Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. 5 Members of public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of duty or GST can email [email protected] to report these illegal activities.

In a significant move, the Singapore Parliament passed a bill on Monday, November 6th, to bring about changes to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) system in Singapore, according to Channel NewsAsia.

The amendments, which will come into effect from April next year, target approximately 300,000 foreigners with CPF accounts and aim to simplify the process for nominees to access CPF information of deceased members.

Key changes

The amendments to the CPF Act introduce several pivotal changes to the CPF system, with a focus on improving transparency, accessibility, and resource allocation.

1. Access to Deceased Members’ Information
   One of the most notable changes is the allowance for information related to a deceased member’s CPF account to be disclosed starting from February 1st next year. This information includes the deceased member’s CPF balances, the names of nominees, and the proportion of money to be received. Currently, such information can only be accessed if authorized by the member or through a court order.

The new process is expected to streamline and simplify the handling of deceased members’ CPF accounts, reducing the administrative burden on families during difficult times. Senior Minister of State for Manpower, Koh Poh Koon, highlighted that the CPF Board received over 3,000 requests to access deceased members’ information this year. The amendments will offer a more convenient and efficient way to address these requests by allowing electronic issuance of documents.

2. Closing Foreigners’ CPF Accounts
   Another significant change involves the closure of CPF accounts belonging to foreigners. This move is aimed at reallocating resources to better support the long-term needs of Singaporean residents. The change will limit the CPF system to Singaporean citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs).

While this measure was welcomed by Members of Parliament (MPs), it raised concerns about the potential impact on businesses and employers. Mr. Saktiandi Supaat asked whether the cessation of foreign CPF participation would lead to businesses turning away from Singaporean workers due to the absence of additional CPF contributions for foreign workers.

3. Who Can Retain CPF Accounts During the Transition Period?
   Mr. Yip Hon Weng raised a crucial question about individuals in the process of applying for Singaporean citizenship and PR status. He inquired whether they would be allowed to retain their CPF accounts during this period. Dr. Koh noted that accounts of those who have not been granted PR status by April 1st next year will be closed. However, once they obtain permanent residency, they will become part of the CPF system.
4. Access to CPF Information
   MPs also sought clarity on who would be eligible to receive the CPF information of deceased members and what specific details would be disclosed. Dr. Koh clarified that nominees and beneficiaries under relevant intestacy laws would be granted access. Intestacy laws outline the distribution of a person’s estate when they pass away without a will.

It’s essential to note that not all family relations are considered next-of-kin under the relevant intestacy laws, and they will not be allowed access to the deceased member’s CPF information. Additionally, for the majority of members who have made nominations, the amendments align with their intentions, as they have already authorized all their nominees to access their CPF information upon their demise.

CPF’s statement

CPF (Amendment) Bill Highlights 2023                                           

We have made changes to the CPF (Amendment) Bill to legislate the ceasing of non-residents’ participation in CPF schemes and streamline the administration of CPF schemes for better service delivery to residents.

Here is a summary of the changes:

Closure of non-residents’ (non-Singapore Citizens and non-Permanent Residents) CPF accounts

The core purpose of the CPF system is to support the retirement, housing and healthcare needs of residents. In line with this, non-residents’ participation in CPF schemes will cease from 1 April 2024.

Non-residents have to transfer their CPF savings to their bank accounts by 1 April 2024, failing which their CPF accounts will be automatically closed, and any remaining savings will cease to earn the prevailing CPF interest rate. The remaining savings can still be transferred to their bank accounts at any time after that.

This was first announced in March 2023 and CPF Board is now making the necessary legislative amendments to support the automatic closure of CPF accounts. Non-residents may also refer to CPF website at cpf.gov.sg/AccountClosure for more details.

Streamlining the administration of CPF schemes to improve service delivery

To align with industry practices for wills and intestate distribution of assets, the Board will allow nominees and beneficiaries under the relevant intestacy laws to access deceased members’ CPF information, with effect from February 2024. Members no longer need to explicitly authorise the Board to disclose their CPF information to these individuals upon their demise.

This enables nominees and beneficiaries under the relevant intestacy laws to settle post-demise matters relating to the deceased members’ CPF accounts with greater ease and transparency.

Members can be assured that their CPF information remains private and confidential while they are alive. Members may refer to cpf.gov.sg/NOMFAQ for more details.

In addition, with the amendment, the Board may continue with certain transactions, which typically arise or follow from obligations preceding the member’s demise. These include monies due to the member (e.g. refund of CareShield Life premiums to member’s MediSave account after death) or payments due to third parties (e.g. refunds to employers if there were excess CPF contributions made).

Notices and service methods

For greater convenience, members will be able to receive more documents from CPF Board electronically. This includes selected hardcopy notifications such as the Notice of Contributions issued to self-employed persons. Members can still request for hardcopy notifications should they prefer.

To align with the legislation governing other public sector agencies, changes to the Notice to Attend Court document can now be made without having to amend the subsidiary legislation. A sample copy of the “Notice to Attend Court” document will be made available on the Board’s website so that members of public can easily access and verify the legitimacy of any notice served.

A 17-year-old boy in Singapore, who was 14 years old at the time of his offences, was given a conditional warning by the police back in 2020 for molesting his 10-year-old half-sister several times, according to The Straits Times.

However, he persisted with his offences and continued to target his sister in 2021 after their mother let him return to their home, despite him being told that he couldn’t do so without the permission of Child Protection Services.

The boy pleaded guilty to three charges on Monday (6 November), including penetration of the victim, with five other molestation charges to be considered when the court sentences him.

Background

Deputy Public Prosecutor Benedict Teong told the court that the victim and the accused have different fathers but the same mother, and they lived in a one-bedroom HDB with two other siblings.

The woman would sleep in the bedroom while her four children slept together in the living room.

From November 2019 to Janaury 2020, on 5 separate occasions, the accused would get up in the middle of the night and molest the victim, who pretended to be asleep.

A police report was eventually lodged on 30 January 2020, and the boy was then made to move out of the home to live with his aunt so as to prevent these molestations to happen again, which was part of a family safety plan that was prepared by the Child Protection Services, which stated that the boy’s interaction with his sisters had to be supervised by a professional.

He was then given a 12-month conditional warning by the police on 25 November 2020 for the 5 counts of molest and told that if he re-offended during the period, he would be prosecuted.

However, from June 2021 on the weekends, the boy would return to their flat without the CPS’s knowledge.

The mother would tell the victim and her sister not to tell the CPS officer of their school counsellor about the accused coming over to stay with them on the weekends.

He would sleep in the living room with his brother while the victim and her sister would sleep in their parents’ bedroom.

In June 2021, the boy asked the victim to engage in intercourse with him and she refused, but eventually gave in after he was adamantly pestering her for it.

Then on 22 August 2021, he snuck into his mother’s room while everyone was sleeping, and molested the victim again, penetrating her on the mattress.

The victim then told her classmate about what happened and their school counsellor was then made aware of it, before a police report was lodged.

The court called for a report to assess the boy’s suitability for informative training and he is expected to be sentenced next month.