Press Release From The Ministry Of Finance On 21 Mar 2000 On The New Accountant-General

NEW ACCOUNTANT-GENERAL

Accountant-General Mr. Goh Khee Kuan will be leaving the Accountant-General's Department (AGD) to return to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) on 1 April 2000. He has been on secondment to MOF from IRAS for 5 years, and is returning to contribute to IRAS' pursuit of organisational excellence. During his term as Accountant-General, Mr. Goh was instrumental in the implementation of several key initiatives in Government accounting. These include the introduction of the New Financial System - a revamped computer-based accounting system - and the setting up of the framework within AGD to serve the President in his constitutional function of protecting past reserves.

2 Deputy Accountant-General Ms Chua Geok Wah, 46, will take over as Accountant-General with effect from 1 April 2000. Ms Chua is an accountant by training, and has held appointments in the Ministry of Law and the Commercial Affairs Department. As Deputy Accountant-General, Ms Chua was closely involved in the drafting of the 'Principles for the Protection of Reserves', and in various initiatives to improve accounting practices in the Government. She is therefore well placed to serve the President in his constitutional function of protecting past reserves and to lead the next major thrust in Government accounting - the implementation of Resource Accounting. This next phase of Government financial reform, as announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget speech, is to ensure that the Government makes the best use of its resources.

MINISTRY OF FINANCE