Pioneer Generation Fund Bill

is attributable to intellectual, psychiatric, sensory or physical impairment or a combination of those impairments;

is permanent or likely to be permanent; and

results in a substantial need for continuing support in daily living activities;

that is intended or claimed (expressly or otherwise) by the individual or the person performing the activity —

to diagnose the individual’s illness or disability;

to treat the individual’s illness or disability, or suspected illness or disability; or

to assess, record, maintain or improve the individual’s health; or

that is the dispensing on prescription of a drug or medicinal preparation for use or consumption by that individual;

formed under the law of Singapore; or

resident, or having an office or a place of business, in Singapore;

is established by or under any written law and administered by a public authority or by the Government in any other manner; and

is to provide financial relief, assistance or support to citizens of Singapore or any part of them;

all moneys from time to time appropriated from the Consolidated Fund and authorised to be paid into the Fund by any written law;

all other revenues of Singapore allocated by any written law to the Fund;

all gifts and donations given or made by any person to the Government for the purposes of the Fund; and

all investments out of moneys in the Fund authorised to be made by any written law and the proceeds of any such investment, including the net income from such investments.

to provide financial assistance to Pioneers in accordance with section 16(1) and grants by way of reimbursement in accordance with section 16(2);

to fund all or any part of the cost of any prescribed public scheme but only to the extent that Pioneers are eligible to participate in or receive benefits under that public scheme;

to meet the payment of expenses referred to in section 6, and any terms of appointment of a public authority and organisation under section 19(1)(b) and (c), respectively;

for such other purposes as are authorised under this Act to be paid out of the Fund.

the cost of auditing the accounts of the Fund, and the remuneration of the auditor if he or she is not the Auditor‑General;

the expenses incurred by any public authority or person whom the Minister has appointed under Part 4 to disburse financial assistance using moneys in the Fund in carrying out their duties under that appointment and doing any thing incidental to or in connection with, the purposes of that appointment.

cause to be kept proper accounts and records of all transactions and affairs relating to the Fund, or the transactions and affairs of the part of the Fund that the accounting officer is in charge of, as the case may be;

do all things necessary to ensure that payments out of the Fund and the disbursement of those funds are properly authorised and correctly made; and

ensure that adequate control is maintained over the assets and receipts of the Fund, or the assets and receipts of the part of the Fund that the accounting officer is in charge of, as the case may be.

whose birthday is 31 December 1949 or earlier; and

who was a citizen of Singapore on 31 December 1986 and has been a citizen of Singapore since that date.

by the individual who wants to be determined to be a Pioneer;

with the approval of the individual, by another person on behalf of that individual; or

where the individual is unable, by reason of physical or mental incapacity, to approve a person to make the verification application, by a donee under a lasting power of attorney executed by the individual but only to the extent permitted by the Mental Capacity Act (Cap. 177A).

determine that the citizen of Singapore is a Pioneer with effect from a date to be specified, which may, where suitable, be a date before the date of its decision on reconsideration but not earlier than the date the verification application for that citizen of Singapore was received by the Panel under section 13; or

affirm that decision.

a chairperson;

a deputy chairperson; and

at least 2 other individuals and not more than 8 other individuals,all of whom are appointed by the Minister.

a cash grant to be credited to the Medisave account or other account of the Pioneer in the Central Provident Fund, being of an amount prescribed for the Pioneer or the class that the Pioneer belongs;

a cash grant payable in such other manner of an amount prescribed for the Pioneer if he or she has any disability or satisfies such other conditions as may be prescribed for the grant;

a subsidy of the cost of any premium of a prescribed insurance scheme covering the Pioneer (whether alone or as a member of a class) in relation to health services, up to the maximum proportion or maximum amount of that cost prescribed for the Pioneer or the class that the Pioneer belongs;

a subsidy of the cost of any relevant health service rendered or provided to the Pioneer by any prescribed healthcare provider, up to the maximum proportion or maximum amount of that cost prescribed for the Pioneer.

a reimbursement arrangement is made in respect of any relevant health service rendered or provided to a Pioneer;

a prescribed healthcare provider referred to in subsection (1)(d) is party to or bound by that arrangement;

that prescribed healthcare provider renders or provides any relevant health service to a Pioneer; and

that prescribed healthcare provider is entitled, under the reimbursement arrangement, to reimbursement of the whole or part of the cost and expenses it incurred in respect of the relevant health service so rendered or provided,there is payable to the prescribed healthcare provider a grant by way of reimbursement (called a reimbursement grant) of its cost and expenses in rendering or providing the relevant health service to a Pioneer, up to the maximum proportion or maximum amount of those costs and expenses allowed under the reimbursement arrangement applicable to that prescribed healthcare provider.

is not assignable or transferable, except for the purpose of satisfying a debt due from the Pioneer to the Government; and

is not liable to be attached, sequestered or levied upon for or in respect of any debt or claim except a debt due from the Pioneer to the Government.

the individual ceases to be a citizen of Singapore at any time after the commencement of this Part;

the individual is or becomes a citizen of another country at any time after the commencement of this Part, even if the individual does not cease to be a citizen of Singapore;

the individual dies; or

the individual is declared under subsection (2) to cease being a Pioneer.

any public officer (who may or may not be an accounting officer);

any public authority; or

any other organisation,to disburse, on behalf of the Minister, the financial assistance or other benefits using moneys withdrawn from the Fund, and to do any other thing incidental to or in connection with the purpose of the appointment.

the functions and duties of the public authority under written law are to be regarded as including disbursing that financial assistance or other benefits;

the public authority is to be regarded as fulfilling the purposes of the relevant Act constituting that public authority, and the provisions of that Act are to apply to the public authority in respect of disbursing that financial assistance or other benefits; and

the members, officers and employees of the public authority, in relation to their disbursement of that financial assistance or other benefits, are deemed to be public officers for the purposes of the Financial Procedure Act (Cap. 109), and section 20 of that Act is to apply (with such necessary modifications as may be prescribed) to such persons even though they are not or were not in the employment of the Government.

the Minister charged with the responsibility for that Government department or other public authority may, in addition to any other power conferred by any written law, direct that Government department or other public authority to provide so much of the confidential information to the recipient organisation as is necessary for that purpose; and

unless subsection (3) applies, that Government department or other public authority is to comply with the direction under paragraph (a), whether or not it is under any obligation (imposed by written law or otherwise) not to disclose such information.

no person shall be guilty of an offence under any written law or of any breach of confidence or incur any other civil liability, by virtue merely of the person disclosing any information in accordance with any direction under subsection (1)(a); and

no officer of a recipient organisation shall be guilty of an offence under any written law or of any breach of confidence or incur any other civil liability, by virtue merely of the officer accessing, or disclosing to another officer of that recipient organisation, any confidential information referred to in subsection (1) in the performance of his or her duties connected with disbursing any financial assistance or grant under section 16 or benefit under a prescribed public scheme referred to in section 5(1)(b).

the funding, monitoring or evaluation (excluding the investigation into or resolution of complaints) of any health service, or of any benefit under a prescribed public scheme referred to in section 5(1)(b), provided or to be provided to Pioneers;

the provision of indemnity cover for a Pioneer in respect of health services used or to be used by the Pioneers;

the administration and enforcement of this Act;

the prevention or management of a serious threat to public health or public safety; or

the development or implementation by the Government or a public authority of any public scheme involving benefits to Pioneers.

in underwriting a contract of insurance that covers a healthcare provider referred to in section 16;

in determining whether to enter into a contract of insurance that covers such a healthcare provider (whether alone or as a member of a class);

in determining whether a contract of insurance covers such a healthcare provider in relation to a particular event; or

in employing a Pioneer.

the recipient, in the case of a cash grant referred to in section 16(1)(a) or (b) —

is not a Pioneer; or

is a Pioneer but not eligible under this Act to that cash grant;

the recipient, in the case of a subsidy referred to in section 16(1)(c) or (d), is not eligible to the subsidy;

the amount paid is in excess of the amount the recipient is eligible to receive by way of such grant or subsidy (as the case may be) under section 16(1); or

the money was paid, or was credited to a Medisave account or other account of a Pioneer or other individual in the Central Provident Fund, in error,the amount paid or paid in excess, as the case may be, is recoverable from the recipient as a debt due to the Government.

the recipient is not a prescribed healthcare provider;

the recipient is a prescribed healthcare provider but did not provide or render any relevant health service to a Pioneer in respect of which the recipient may be entitled to reimbursement under the applicable reimbursement arrangement;

the amount paid is in excess of the amount to which the recipient is entitled by way of reimbursement under the applicable reimbursement arrangement; or

the recipient obtained the reimbursement grant —

by knowingly or recklessly making any false or misleading statement; or

by producing or furnishing, or causing to be produced or furnished, any document which the recipient knows to be false in a material particular,the amount that has been paid or paid in excess, as the case may be, is recoverable from the recipient as a debt due to the Government.

by knowingly or recklessly making any false or misleading statement; or

by producing or furnishing, or causing to be produced or furnished, any document which the Pioneer knows to be false in a material particular,the amount of the financial assistance or benefit so obtained is recoverable from the person as a debt due to the Government.

a person furnishes a document, or makes a statement (whether orally, in writing or any other way) or gives information, to the Pioneer Generation Appeals Panel;

the document, statement or information is false or misleading, or the statement or information omits any matter or thing without which the statement or information, as the case may be, is misleading;

the person knows that the document is false or misleading, or that the statement or information is as described in paragraph (b); and

the document is furnished in, or the statement is made or the information is given in, or in connection with, a verification application (whether for that person or for another) to be determined a Pioneer,the person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

who —

knowingly or recklessly makes any false or misleading statement; or

produces or furnishes, or causes to be produced or furnished, any document which the person knows to be false in a material particular; and

who, with the intention of dishonestly inducing another person to accept the statement or document as genuine, and by reason of the other person so accepting it as genuine, dishonestly obtains any financial assistance under section 16(1)(a), (b), (c) or (d) or any benefit under a prescribed public scheme referred to in section 5(1)(b),shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

who or which —

knowingly or recklessly makes any false or misleading statement; or

produces or furnishes, or causes to be produced or furnished, any document which the healthcare provider knows to be false in a material particular; and

who or which, with the intention of dishonestly inducing another person to accept the statement or document as genuine, and by reason of the other person so accepting it as genuine, dishonestly obtains any reimbursement grant under section 16(2),shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

to have been committed with the consent or connivance of an officer; or

to be attributable to any neglect on the officer’s part,the officer as well as the body corporate shall be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

to have been committed with the consent or connivance of a partner; or

to be attributable to any neglect on the partner’s part,the partner as well as the partnership shall be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

to have been committed with the consent or connivance of an officer of the unincorporated association or a member of its governing body; or

to be attributable to any neglect on the part of such an officer or a member,the officer or member as well as the unincorporated association shall be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

in relation to a body corporate, means any director, partner, member of the board of management, chief executive, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate and includes any person purporting to act in any such capacity; or

in relation to an unincorporated association (other than a partnership), means the president, the secretary, or any member of the committee of the unincorporated association, or any person holding a position analogous to that of president, secretary or member of such a committee and includes any person purporting to act in any such capacity;

one half of the amount of the maximum fine that is prescribed for the offence;

$1,000.

by giving it to the individual personally;

by sending it by pre‑paid registered post to the address specified by the individual for the service of documents or, if no address is so specified, the individual’s residential address or business address;

by leaving it at the individual’s residential address with an adult apparently resident there, or at the individual’s business address with an adult apparently employed there;

by sending it by fax to the fax number last known to the person giving or serving the document as the fax number for the service of documents on the individual; or

by sending it by email to the last email address.

by giving it to any partner, secretary or other like officer of the partnership;

by leaving it at, or by sending it by pre‑paid registered post to, the partnership’s business address;

by sending it by fax to the fax number used at the partnership’s business address; or

by sending it by email to the partnership’s last email address.

by giving it to the secretary or other like officer of the body corporate or unincorporated association, or the limited liability partnership’s manager;

by leaving it at, or by sending it by pre‑paid registered post to, the body corporate’s or unincorporated association’s registered office or principal office in Singapore;

by sending it by fax to the fax number used at the body corporate’s or unincorporated association’s registered office or principal office in Singapore; or

by sending it by email to the body corporate’s or unincorporated association’s last email address.

if the document is sent by fax and a notification of successful transmission is received, on the day of transmission;

if the document is sent by email, at the time that the email becomes capable of being retrieved by the person; and

if the document is sent by pre‑paid registered post, 2 days after the day the document was posted (even if it is returned undelivered).

in the case of an individual, the individual’s usual or last known place of business in Singapore; or

in the case of a partnership (other than a limited liability partnership), the partnership’s principal or last known place of business in Singapore;

the financial assistance and grants referred to in section 16(1) and (2), respectively, including prescribing different amounts or proportions, or different maximum amounts or proportions, of financial assistance or grants for different classes of Pioneers, for different relevant health services and prescribed healthcare providers;

the method and manner of disbursing the financial assistance and grants referred to in section 16(1) and (2), respectively, by persons appointed under section 19;

require returns to be made to an accounting officer —

by a person appointed under section 19 regarding the disbursement of financial assistance and grants referred to in section 16(1) and (2), respectively, by that person; and

by a prescribed healthcare provider eligible to a reimbursement grant under section 16(2) regarding the cost and expenses of providing any relevant health service to a Pioneer;

the fees to be paid for any thing or matter done or to be done under this Act in respect of which it appears to the Minister to be expedient to charge fees;

the procedures of the Pioneer Generation Appeals Panel, including its decision‑making procedures, the number of members required to be at meetings of the Panel, who is to preside at these meetings, what happens when votes of the members are tied and when a member is not entitled to participate in decision‑making;

the offences under this Act which may be compounded;

anything that is required or permitted to be prescribed under this Act.

that healthcare providers be prescribed by reference to a particular register, list or other document that is specified in the regulations, provided that the register, list or document is available for inspection (on the Internet or otherwise) by members of the public; and

that any contravention of any provision of the regulations shall be an offence punishable with a fine not exceeding $2,500 or with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or with both.