Audit of Singapore Press Holdings' Financial Statements and Circulation Numbers

33 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the Government has independently audited the financial statements and other data provided by Singapore Press Holdings Limited as part of its due diligence process before making the decision to grant it public funding; and (b) if not, why not.

34 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) which are the newspaper titles for which circulation numbers are inflated; (b) whether an external forensic audit will be held to determine if the circulation numbers are inflated beyond the review period of September 2020 to March 2022; and (c) if so, which other periods will be reviewed.

Mrs Josephine Teo: These questions have been addressed in my reply to Question Nos 2 to 18 for oral answer on the Order Paper for 6 February 2023. [Please refer to "Government's Response to SPH Media Trust's Inflated Circulation Numbers", Official Report, 6 February 2023, Vol 95, Issue 81, Oral Answers to Questions section.]