The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has issued 51 companies with bunker survey licence to operate in the Port of Singapore. The licence is valid from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2017.
Since the licensing scheme was first announced in October 2014, MPA has been engaging the bunker surveying industry on the details of the scheme. The licensing scheme will raise the standards of bunker surveying companies and allow MPA to have greater regulatory oversight of bunker surveying companies and bunker surveyors.
“This new licensing scheme for bunker surveying companies complements the existing schemes of requiring bunker surveyors to be licenced and requiring bunker survey companies to be accredited to ISO 17020. We believe that together, these schemes will enhance industry confidence in the many bunker surveying companies in Singapore and further help protect the interest of the relevant bunker players in this multi-billion dollar business. In the long term, we expect that both the bunker and shipping community will benefit from this” said Mr. Darajit Daud, Senior Manager, SGS Testing & Control Services Singapore Pte Ltd and Chairman of the Technical Committee for Cargo Inspection, under SPRING Singapore.
“SSA welcomes this initiative by MPA to license the bunkering surveying companies. We are confident that the licensing of bunker surveying companies will reassure buyers and sellers that Singapore’s bunkering industry is well-served by trained and certified professionals – this initiative, together with the mandatory implementation of mass flow meters (MFMs), demonstrate MPA’s commitments towards promoting Singapore as a premium bunkering hub” said Mr. S K Lim, Chairman of the SSA Services Committee.
Starting 1 January 2017, MPA requires all bunker surveying companies to be licensed.
Source: MPA Singapore
