Registrar of Companies (Chairman), the Accountant General and the Commissioner of Inland Revenue as ex officio members, a Legal Adviser, and six other members appointed by the Governor, of whom five are practising accountants.

35. The Board inquiries into the professional qualifications, experi- ence, competency and character of all applicants for admission to the Authorized List of Auditors kept by the Registrar of Companies under Section 131(3)(a). This List is in two parts, Part I containing the names of persons authorized to audit accounts kept in English, Part II the names of those authorized to audit accounts kept in Chinese. The Board conducts examinations for admission to Part II of the List. The examination is divided into an oral and a written examination, and every candidate must pass the oral before he can take the written examination. The Board may also sit as a disciplinary tribunal, having power to issue a reprimand or order the removal of the name of an auditor from the List.

36. During the year the Board inquired into and approved eleven applications for admission to Part I, one application for admission to Part II, and four applications for admission to both Part I and Part II.

TABLE VIII

NUMBER OF LIMITED COMPANIES REGISTERED IN THE YEARS 1954/55 TO 1958/59, INDICATING AMOUNTS OF NOMINAL CAPITAL

1954/55

1955/56 1956/57 1957/58

1958/59

With share capital:

Under $10,000

1

1

3

5

8

$

10,000 and under

50,000...

10

12

11

17

14

50,000 100,000 500,000

7+

**

100,000...

9

16

5

11

19

"

**

500,000 ...

63

95

102

121

144

??

19

1,000,000...

46

45

49

64

53

1,000,000

**

5,000,000 ...

96

85

70

110

83

5,000,000

"

10,000,000

16

7

6

3

4

10,000,000 and above...

7

6

5

3

248

267

246

336

328

6

17

14

17

23

Without share capital

Total number registered

254

284

260

353

351

Total amount of share capital of com-

panies registered with a share capital $341,469,056|$273,028,000 $168,049,550 $276,280,240 $227,492,500

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