THE Economic Development Board (EDB) will be given more room to explore new businesses and industries, such as attracting non-profit organisations to set up shop here.

To allow this, Parliament approved changes to the EDB Act yesterday to remove unnecessary restrictions that could hinder the board's operations in a globalised world.

One change was to do away with the term 'business enterprise', which the Act defines as entities the EDB deals with.

In moving for the amendments to the Act yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran said: 'As the EDB is tasked to explore new businesses and industries that it has not dealt with before, this definition of business enterprise is potentially restrictive.'

It will be replaced by a new term: enterprise. Its definition will also be broadened to include any entity that is incorporated, formed or established in Singapore or elsewhere - whether for profit or not.

This means that the EDB, which traditionally attracts foreign corporations to set up shop here, can also look at promoting non-profit organisations.

An example is the setting up of the International Organisations Programme Office, an initiative to attract non-profit organisations to set up their regional bases in Singapore.

Another change dealt with management issues.

As the EDB moves into new business territories, it can now tap the expertise of more board members. The current range of four to 11 board members will be raised to five to 15.

The EDB can also appoint a temporary chief executive officer (CEO), without seeking approval of the minister, should the current chief be absent owing to, say, illness.

However, the minister retains the power to remove the CEO by giving instructions to the Board.

The EDB Act was also updated with provisions that are commonly found in more recent statutory board legislation.

For instance, the board and its members, officers and employees will be protected against liability for errors or omissions in information supplied to the public if it is made in good faith.

This provision is also found in the Acts of other statutory boards, such as the National Environment Agency and Singapore Land Authority.

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