Clause 4

For the purpose of obtaining statistical information relating to any matter to which this Act applies, the Chief Statistician may in writing direct —

the director of any research and statistics unit specified in the Second Schedule to furnish or supply to him any particulars or information obtained by the director under section 4 pursuant to any requisition issued by the director on or after the commencement of the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1990; or

any competent authority specified in the first column of the Third Schedule to furnish or supply to him any particulars or information specified in the second column of the Third Schedule and obtained pursuant to any request by the competent authority made on or after the commencement of the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1990,and, notwithstanding the provisions of this Act or any other written law, the director or competent authority shall furnish and supply those particulars and information within such time as may be agreed to by the Chief Statistician and the director or competent authority, as the case may be.(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act or any other written law, no person shall be guilty of an offence under this Act or that other written law or of any breach of confidence by virtue merely of his disclosing any particulars or information to the Chief Statistician pursuant to any direction under subsection (1).(3) Where an amendment to the Third Schedule inserts or deletes and substitutes any particulars or information specified in the second column of the Third Schedule, subsection (1)(b) shall have effect as if for the reference to the commencement of the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1990 there were substituted the date on which the amendment comes into operation.(4) Subsection (1) shall not apply to any particulars or information obtained under any written law relating to taxation or administered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.(5) In this Act, “competent authority” means any public officer, or any statutory body established by or under any written law or any officer thereof, being under any obligation imposed by any written law to observe secrecy in respect of any particulars or information obtained by the public officer or the statutory body or officer thereof in the administration of that written law.”.