Barring solopreneurs, every company in Singapore must have a secretary. The country’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) enforces this law strictly.
If you are starting a company, you need a secretary on your team. Even when your old secretary leaves, you only have six months to find a new one. Leaving the spot empty for too long will result in government fines.
Appointing a new secretary in this country is a simple procedure, but the many steps involved can make it seem complex. To avoid wasting time, many business owners reach out to experts to handle this responsibility.
Here is exactly how you pick and hire a company secretary in Singapore for your business.
1. Find Who Has Authorization to Work
Your pick must live in Singapore. They must be a citizen, a permanent resident, or have an employment pass. You cannot hire a friend who lives in another country or has no authorization to work in Singapore.
Second, if your business is a major public company, the rules get even harder. The person must be a true professional, typically a registered accountant or a lawyer. For small private companies, you can hire a regular resident, but a director cannot serve as the secretary if they are the only director of the company.
2. Check the Papers and IDs
First, you must verify the person’s ID cards or passports to prove they actually live on the island.
If you are paying an external business team for a company secretary singapore, you must check their official license number with ACRA. This ensures the person is real and knows how to navigate the government platforms without making mistakes with their documents.
3. Get the Signed Permission Form
You cannot appoint a secretary unless they agree on paper. The person must sign the Form 45B to confirm agreement.
By signing this form, the person officially promises that they want the job and that they have never broken any business laws that would stop them from working.
You will keep this signed form safely in your company files. Although you do not send it to the government right away, you must keep it safe in case an official inspector asks to see it.
4. The Directors Must Vote
Before making the appointment official, the company owners must agree to the choice. The directors have to draft a document called a board resolution.
This document states that the new secretary is officially being hired and indicates the exact day they start work. Upon agreeing on an individual, the directors must sign at the bottom of the sheet and file the document into the company’s official record book.
5. Enter the Details into BizFile+
Now that the company executives have chosen a secretary, they must announce the choice to the public. They send this update to the government through BizFile+, an online portal.
A company director usually handles this part. They access the portal using their personal SingPass login. Then they head to the section for changing company officers and enter the new secretary’s full name, ID number, home address, and the day they started working.
ACRA does not charge an organization for this online update if the organization completes it on time.
6. The Secretary Must Log In and Confirm
Entering the secretary’s details into the portal doesn’t mean the end of the process. The government’s system will automatically send a message to the new secretary after the update.
Upon receiving this message, the new secretary has to log into BizFile+ using their own SingPass. There, they will click a button to confirm that they accept the job.
Once they click that button, the government computer updates the company profile automatically. You can then download a fresh company sheet that shows the new secretary’s details.
7.Conclude in 14 Days
There is only a limited window for updating your company information. So, you have to move fast when making changes to your business.
According to local legislation, you must log in to BizFile+ and report the new secretary within 14 days of signing the board resolution.
If you miss this 14-day mark, your business is technically non-compliant. As a result, the government will start charging you late fees that increase every week you wait. If you let six months pass without a secretary, the government can sue the directors and possibly shut down your entire business operation.
8. Include the Name in the Office Records
After registering within the stipulated time, you only have one more step to take.
The last step happens right inside your office. Every business must keep a physical folder or digital file called the Register of Secretaries at its main address. You must type the secretary’s full name, address, nationality, and exact commencement date into this file.
Lay-offs and resignations are all uncomfortable occurrences that every business will encounter. If the secretary eventually quits, you will also have to write their end date in this book. Updating this file is a law you cannot skip.
Bottom Line
Hiring a secretary is non-negotiable for your business model. However, you must do it correctly to keep your business out of trouble with the law.
Checking the candidate’s local ID, getting Form 45B signed, and completing the BizFile+ forms within 14 days help protect your company from huge fines. If you want to remain in good standing with the Singaporean government and retain access to various incentives, you must follow these steps accordingly.
Do not risk your business by missing government deadlines or messing up your legal forms. Partner with a registered team to find your company secretary in Singapore today and keep your company running safely and smoothly.
