Singapore legislation
Clause 11
Clause 11
Amendment of section 67
Section 67 of the Bankruptcy Act is amended by inserting, immediately after subsection (2), the following subsections:“(3) If a bankruptcy order may be made on the bankruptcy application, the court shall, instead of making the order, adjourn the bankruptcy application for a period of 6 months or such other period as the court may direct and refer the matter to the Official Assignee for the purpose of enabling the Official Assignee to determine whether the debtor is suitable for a debt repayment scheme under Part VA, if the following qualifying criteria are satisfied:
the aggregate of the debts specified in the statement of affairs exhibited to the debtor’s affidavit under section 58(2) does not exceed $100,000 or such other amount as the Minister may specify under section 65(7)(a);
the debtor is not an undischarged bankrupt, and has not been a bankrupt at any time within the period of 5 years immediately preceding the date on which the bankruptcy application is made, under this Act;
a voluntary arrangement under Part V in respect of the debtor is not in effect, and was not in effect at any time within the period of 5 years immediately preceding the date on which the bankruptcy application is made;
the debtor is not subject to any debt repayment scheme under Part VA, and has not been subject to any such debt repayment scheme at any time within the period of 5 years immediately preceding the date on which the bankruptcy application is made; and
the debtor is not a sole proprietor, a partner of a firm within the meaning of the Partnership Act (Cap. 391) or a partner in a limited liability partnership.(4) The court shall proceed to hear a bankruptcy application adjourned under subsection (3) if —
the Official Assignee reports to the court under section 56B(2) that the debtor is not suitable for a debt repayment scheme under Part VA; or
at the expiry of the period of adjournment, a debt repayment scheme has not commenced under Part VA in respect of the debtor.(5) If at any time during the period of adjournment of a bankruptcy application under subsection (3) a debt repayment scheme commences under Part VA in respect of the debtor, the bankruptcy application shall be deemed to be withdrawn on the date of commencement of the debt repayment scheme.(6) The court may give such orders or directions as it thinks fit for the adjournment, hearing or disposal of a bankruptcy application referred to in subsection (3).(7) For the purpose of subsection (3)(d), a person in respect of whom the Official Assignee issues —
a certificate of inapplicability of a debt repayment scheme under section 56L; or
a certificate of completion of a debt repayment scheme under section 56N(1) —
which states that all the debts (including interest on each of such debts at the rate to which a creditor is entitled under any written law or rule of law) of the person which have been proved under, and all the costs and expenses of, the debt repayment scheme have been paid in full; and
which has not been revoked under section 56O(1),shall not be treated as having been subject to that debt repayment scheme.(8) In subsection (3)(a), “debt” has the same meaning as in section 56A(1).(9) Subsections (3) to (8) shall only apply to bankruptcy applications made on or after the commencement of section 11 of the Bankruptcy (Amendment) Act 2008.”.