What Does a Company Secretary Do?

 

What Does a Company Secretary Do? (And Why Skipping One Is a Legal Risk)

"Every Singapore Private Limited company is legally required to appoint a company secretary within 6 months of incorporation. Yet many founders underestimate how critical this role really is."

Under the Singapore Companies Act, every incorporated company must appoint a qualified Company Secretary. This isn't a formality — the Company Secretary is the guardian of your company's corporate governance.

Core Responsibilities of a Company Secretary

• Filing Annual Returns with ACRA on time
• Maintaining the statutory registers (members, directors, charges)
• Organising and documenting board and shareholder meetings (AGMs, EGMs)
• Advising the board on compliance with the Companies Act
• Managing share transfers and issuing share certificates
• Updating ACRA on changes to company information

Who Qualifies as a Company Secretary?

For Public Companies, a qualified company secretary must be a member of a recognised professional body. For Private Companies, the law requires the person to be "ordinarily resident" in Singapore — but in practice, businesses benefit enormously from appointing a professional with deep compliance expertise.

What Happens If You Don't Have One?

Failure to appoint a Company Secretary within 6 months of incorporation is a criminal offence under the Companies Act, attracting fines of up to S$1,000. More practically, your compliance calendar falls apart — leading to missed filings, penalties, and damaged business credibility.

Delom provides professional company secretarial services for SMEs and corporates across Singapore. Our qualified secretaries manage your full compliance calendar so nothing slips through the cracks. Visit www.delom.com.sg.