MPA (Singapore): Lower Port Dues for ISPS Code – compliant ships

Ships that comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code before the July 1, 2004 deadline will receive a 5% rebate on port dues when they call at the Singapore port. Between May 1, 2004 and June 30, 2004, ships that produce a valid International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC) or a statement of compliance with the ISPS Code issued by the flag state, before arrival or during its stay in port, will qualify for the 5% discount on port dues. This incentive, valid for the two-month period, is Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA’s) effort to encourage and reward ships that comply with the ISPS Code early.

The incentive was announced by Mr Lee Seng Kong, Senior Director, MPA, at the close of the 8th ASEAN Maritime Transport Working Group Meeting held from 28-29 April 04. Mr Lee said “The 5% port dues rebate to reward ships that are ISPS-compliant before the 1 July 2004 deadline, underscores Singapore’s support for the work of the IMO in enhancing maritime and port security globally.”

Mr Lee also said that, “Maritime security is not an issue that any one nation can address on its own. It requires co-operation and concerted efforts from countries around the world. The various discussions and workshops that have been organized under the ambit of ASEAN, including this Working Group and the first ASEAN Forum on IMO Conventions held earlier this week, highlight the importance for the MPA to work with its maritime counterparts to put in place the required maritime security regime.”

Apart from the Working Group meetings, the MPA has also hosted or participated in a number of regional workshops and discussions on maritime security, to share its experience in the implementation of the ISPS Code. For example, in 2003, MPA hosted two ASEAN/IMO workshops on the implementation of IMO conventions and initiated the ASEAN-Japan maritime security project on the ISPS Code. It participated in a number of maritime security conferences and meetings initiated by the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC).

The training courses conducted by the MPA under the Singapore-IMO Third Country Training Program also cover maritime security-related issues. About 61 participants from 12 countries attended these courses in 2003. Bilaterally, the MPA has conducted a Maritime Security Course for some 100 Indonesian seafarers under the Singapore-Indonesia MOU on Co-operation in the field of Education and Training for Seafarers.

Singapore’s ships and port facilities are on track to comply with the ISPS Code by July 1, 2004. To date, all Singapore port facilities serving passenger ships and cargo ships of 500GT and above have been issued with Statements of Compliance of a Port Facility (SoCPF). PSA Corporation and Sembawang Shipyard were among the firsts to have their facilities security-certified.

For the Singapore-flagged ships that are required to comply with the ISPS Code, about 85% have either attained their security certificates, submitted their security plans or had them approved. Neptune Shipmanagement Services Pte Ltd (NSSPL) was the first company in Singapore to have its fleet of 31 Singapore-flagged container ships comply with the ISPS Code. More recently, Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (LRS) became the first Recognized Security Organization (RSO) to have certified more than 100 Singapore-registered vessels.

Amendments to the relevant regulations have been made to give legislative effect to the ISPS Code. These are the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Port) (Amendment) Regulations 2004. The amendments will enter into effect on July 1, 2004.

From July 1, 2004, ships calling at Singapore’s port will be subject to control and compliance measures. These were detailed in our earlier Shipping Circular No. 11 of 2004, issued on April 21, 2004.

While Singapore’s ships and port facilities are making good progress in their ISPS Code compliance, there is still work to be done. MPA will continue to work with the parties involved to help facilitate early compliance.

Ports & Harbors - June 2004 Vol.49 No. 5