Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships to Lodge Registrable Controllers’ Information in New Central Register Of Controllers from 30 July 2020

With effect from 30 July 2020, all companies, foreign companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) will be required to file the information that they presently maintain in their Register of Registrable Controllers (RORC), with ACRA’s Central Register of Controllers. This is part of ACRA’s ongoing efforts to uphold Singapore’s reputation as a trusted financial hub, and to further enhance the transparency of ownership and control of corporate entities.

2          The RORC information in ACRA’s Central Register of Controllers will only be made available to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of administering or enforcing the laws under their purview (e.g. investigation of money laundering offences). Members of the public will not have access to the RORC information.

3          Since 31 March 2017, all companies, foreign companies and LLPs unless exempted[1], are required to set up and maintain a RORC at the registered office address or the registered office address of their appointed Registered Filing Agents (RFAs), and update any change in the controllers’ information to the RORC within two business days[2]. RORC contains information of individuals and legal entities that have significant interest, or significant control over the company, foreign company or LLP. Please see Annex A(PDF, 49KB) for the prescribed information to be maintained in a RORC. 

4          Under the law, all companies, foreign companies and LLPs are required to file the information in their existing RORC with ACRA’s Central Register of Controllers, within 30 days from 30 July 2020. In view that Singapore has just exited the Circuit Breaker and to assist business entities to ease into the resumption of normal business activities, ACRA will allow entities to file their RORC information with ACRA by 29 September 2020.  All they need to do is upload the RORC information at Bizfile, ACRA’s online filing portal. The filing process has been kept simple after taking into account feedback from corporate service providers and some companies.

5          Henceforth, any change to the controllers’ information must be updated in the entities’ RORC and similarly filed with ACRA’s Central Register of Controllers within two business days thereafter. The information can be lodged by the directors, secretaries, or partners, or by their appointed RFAs. Failure to do so is an offence that can attract a fine of up to $5,000 upon conviction. Details of the requirements of RORC can be found at www.acra.gov.sg/registers-of-controllers.

^[1] Please refer to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Schedule of the Companies Act, and Sixth Schedule of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act for the exempted entities.

^[2] Any change in controllers’ information must be updated in the RORC within two business days after the particulars are confirmed by the controller(s), or two business days after the end of 30 days after which a notice has been sent to the controller(s) and the notice was not responded to by the controller(s).

ACCOUNTING AND CORPORATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY 
28 JULY 2020

Document for download:

• Annex A - RORC Information to be lodged with ACRA (PDF, 49KB)