Purchase of Singapore Arrival Entry Card
Samuel Watson made this Official Information request to Judith Collins
This request has an unknown status. We're waiting for Samuel Watson to read a recent response and update the status.
From: Samuel Watson
Tēnā koe Minister,
I am writing regarding the purchase with your ministerial credit card, on 26 May 2024, of a Singapore Arrival Entry Card (SGAC) "Priority Application" and "Priority Processing Service" for USD 79.99 (NZD 134.41).
The purchase was made with a United States-based company called "sg-arrivalcard.online". As noted by the Singaporean Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), "SGAC submission is free of charge. ICA does not support or endorse services offered by commercial entities assisting to submit the SG Arrival Card at a fee. They are not affiliated with ICA."
The Singapore ICA has also issued advisory on fake or misleading websites which provide free ICA services for a charge, sometimes in an attempt to phish personal information.
In accordance with your obligations under the Official Information Act 1982, could you please respond to the following questions:
1. Was the person actually travelling (i.e. the person for whom the SGAC was submitted) you (the Minister) or one of your staff members?
2. Was the payment and SGAC actually submitted/completed by you, or one of your staff members?
3. Why was an unsanctioned, paid third-party service used to submit an SGAC when the Singapore ICA provides these for free?
4. Was the person travelling on their personal passport, a diplomatic passport, or an official passport?
5. Have you (and/or the person actually travelling) sought advice on the privacy and security concerns of this disclosure of personal information, including passport information, to an unofficial third party? If so, what was the advice received? If not, will you?
6. Has the passport whose details were provided to an unofficial third party subsequently been cancelled?
7. Have you (or the person actually travelling) reimbursed the fee of $134.41 to the Crown?
Yours faithfully,
Samuel Watson
From: Judith Collins (MIN)
Judith Collins
Thank you for contacting Hon Judith Collins KC MP, Attorney-General,
Minister of Defence, Minister for Digitising Government, Minister
Responsible for the GCSB, Minister Responsible for the NZSIS, Minister of
Science, Innovation, & Technology, Minister for Space, and Lead
Coordination Minister for the Government's Response to the Royal
Commission's Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques.
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Kind regards
Office of Hon Judith Collins KC MP
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From: Judith Collins (MIN)
Judith Collins
Dear Samuel,
This is our acknowledgment of your OIA request.
Warm regards,
Office of Hon Judith Collins KC MP
Member of Parliament for Papakura
Attorney-General | Minister of Defence | Minister for Digitising Government | Minister Responsible for the GCSB Minister Responsible for the NZSIS | Minister of Science, Innovation & Technology | Minister for Space
Email: [email address] Website: www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Judith Collins KC, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’ portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list: date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
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From: Hon Judith Collins
Dear Samuel
Thank you for your email of 17 September, in which you requested, pursuant
to the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
I am writing regarding the purchase with your ministerial credit card, on
26 May 2024, of a Singapore Arrival Entry Card (SGAC) "Priority
Application" and "Priority Processing Service" for USD 79.99 (NZD 134.41).
The purchase was made with a United States-based company called
"sg-arrivalcard.online". As noted by the Singaporean Immigration and
Checkpoints Authority (ICA), "SGAC submission is free of charge. ICA does
not support or endorse services offered by commercial entities assisting
to submit the SG Arrival Card at a fee. They are not affiliated with ICA."
The Singapore ICA has also issued advisory on fake or misleading websites
which provide free ICA services for a charge, sometimes in an attempt to
phish personal information.
In accordance with your obligations under the Official Information Act
1982, could you please respond to the following questions:
1. Was the person actually travelling (i.e. the person for whom the SGAC
was submitted) you (the Minister) or one of your staff members?
2. Was the payment and SGAC actually submitted/completed by you, or one of
your staff members?
3. Why was an unsanctioned, paid third-party service used to submit an
SGAC when the Singapore ICA provides these for free?
4. Was the person travelling on their personal passport, a diplomatic
passport, or an official passport?
5. Have you (and/or the person actually travelling) sought advice on the
privacy and security concerns of this disclosure of personal information,
including passport information, to an unofficial third party? If so, what
was the advice received? If not, will you?
6. Has the passport whose details were provided to an unofficial third
party subsequently been cancelled?
7. Have you (or the person actually travelling) reimbursed the fee of
$134.41 to the Crown?
The Official Information Act requires that we advise you of our decision
on your request no later than 20 working days after the day we received
your request. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet that time
limit and we are therefore writing to notify you of an extension of the
time of 13 working days to make our decision, to 5 November 2024.
This extension is necessary because the consultations necessary to make a
decision on your request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably
be made within the original time limit.
Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to request the Ombudsman
investigate and review this extension.
Kind regards
Office of Hon Judith Collins KC MP
Member of Parliament for Papakura
Attorney-General | Minister of Defence | Minister for Digitising
Government | Minister Responsible for the GCSB Minister Responsible for
the NZSIS | Minister of Science, Innovation & Technology | Minister for
Space
Email: [1][email address] Website:
[2]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
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From: Orson Glubb
Hi Samuel,
Please find attached a response to your OIA request.
Thanks, Orson
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Cooper O'Neil left an annotation ()
This is an interesting request and will be keen to hear back from Judith Collins' office.
Link to this