Company Secretary in Singapore

Appointing a company secretary in Singapore

According to the Singapore Company Act all companies are required to appoint a secretary within half a year from its incorporation. The company secretary must be a Singapore citizen or resident. Another requirement is that the secretary does not act as a director for the Singapore company. Under Section 171, the Commercial Code establishes a public company’s secretary must also have certain qualifications:

• –          they must be qualified under the Legal Professions Act,
• –        must have served as a secretary for a private company in Singapore for at least 3 years,
• –          they can be a public accountant under the Accountants Act.

Singapore company secretaries must also be members of few associations and institutions:

• –          the Singapore Institute of Certified Public Accountants,
• –          the Association of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Singapore,
• –          the Singapore branch of the Association of International Accountants,
• –          the Institute of Company Accountants in Singapore.

According to the legislation the secretary can also be held accountable for not complying with certain legal requirements. For more information about the legal requirements of becoming a company secretary you can ask our specialists who can also help you open a company in Singapore.

The duties of the company secretary in Singapore

A Singapore company secretary has duties and responsibilities. Their most important duties are:

• –          filing the company’s annual accounts with ACRA,
• –          keeping and updating all necessary registries,
• –          organize and attend board meetings,
• –          arrange the annual general meeting of the Singapore company’s shareholders,,
• –          ensure the company’s directors comply with the Memorandum and Articles of Association.

The company secretary will also act as a communication channel between the directors and shareholders.

The responsibilities of the Singapore company secretary – presented by our experts in opening companies in Singapore

Company secretaries in Singapore also have certain responsibilities, among which they must assist the directors in implementing the corporate governance regulations and properly keep the company’s seal. The company secretary will also oversee the establishment of overseas operations of the Singapore company. The secretary will also make sure the company respects all the legal requirements.

For more information about duties and responsibilities or company secretary services you can contact our consultants. They can also help clients open companies in Singapore.