page_title: Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office
section_title: History of IPTO
hierarchical_section_title: Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office / History of IPTO
caption_attribution_description: English: The logo of the Official Assignee and Public Trustee of Singapore, which was essentially the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. This logo was in use from 1948 till Singapore achieved self-governance in 1959.
context_page_description: The Insolvency & Public Trustee's Office in Singapore is a department under the Ministry of Law. IPTO oversees the administration of individual and corporate insolvencies, the administration of small intestate estates and un-nominated Central Provident Fund monies, as well as the licensing and regulation of moneylenders and pawnbrokers.
context_section_description: IPTO was set up in 1888 as the Bankruptcy Department following an increase in bankruptcy petitions filed in the Supreme Court of the Straits Settlements. The Bankruptcy Department's duties were expanded in 1948 to include the custody of enemy property and the administration of trusts and estate matters. It was also renamed as the Official Assignee and Public Trustee (OAPT) to more aptly describe the role that it played.
  On 1 May 1983, following the transfer of responsibilities from the Ministry of Social Affairs to the Ministry of Law, OAPT was appointed as the Registrar of Moneylenders and Pawnbrokers. As of 1 April 1997, OAPT became an autonomous agency and was renamed the Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office (IPTO), a department under the Ministry of Law.
caption: Logo of the Official Assignee and Public Trustee
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