THE STATUS OF IMPLEMENTING THE ISPS CODE IN SINGAPORE
Presented at

THE 29TH ASEAN PORTS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING, 9-11 DEC 2003, AT THE DUSIT ISLAND RESORT HOTEL, CHIANGRAI, THAILAND

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IMPLEMENTATION OF ISPS CODE IN SINGAPORE

1. The IMO maritime security measures will come into force on 1 July 2004. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) views maritime security seriously and is committed to the effective and universal implementation of the IMO security measures. Hence, the MPA has sought to assist the maritime community to meet the deadline by raising early awareness and providing updated information on what needs to be done through organising conferences and seminars, issuing circulars, holding regular dialogues and meetings with the maritime community.

2. As both the Administration (for ships) and Designated Authority (for port facilities) defined under the ISPS code, the MPA is Singapore's international focal point for the Code and is responsible for coordinating its implementation in co-operation with other security agencies such as the Singapore Police Force, Immigration Checkpoints Authority and the Republic of Singapore Navy.

3. To underline our strong commitment, we are targeting to have all Singapore port facilities and Singapore-flagged ships to be compliant with the requirements of the ISPS Code by Apr 2004. This is to allow us to conduct drills and exercises for our port facilities and ships from Apr to Jul 2004, so as to verify the effectiveness of the security plans of our port facilities and ships.

RECOGNISED SECURITY ORGANISATIONS

4. To encourage shipowners to have their vessels certified early, MPA has authorized 8 classification societies as Recognised Security Organisation (RSOs) on a provisional basis. The RSOs will act on MPA's behalf to verify the compliance of Singapore-flagged ships with the ISPS Code. Upon verification, the ships will be issued with Certificates of Compliance for the time being, which will be subsequently converted to the International Ship Security Certificates.

5. The MPA has also appointed another 7 organisations to serve as RSOs for port facilities. Owners/operators of port facilities will be able to engage these organisations to conduct or endorse Port Facility Security Assessments (PFSAs), which are required under the ISPS Code to serve as the basis for the formulation of Port facility Security Plans(PFSPs). Both the PFSA and PFSP are required to be submitted to the MPA for approval. When both have been approved, a port facility will be issued with a 'Statement of Compliance of a Port Facility' (SoCPF), which will be valid for 5 years. However, the Port Facility is required to undergo an intermediate verification on the SoCPF every 2 1/2 years by a RSO.

COURSE AND TRAINING PROVIDERS

6. Recognising that proper training would be critical for the successful implementation of the security measures, MPA has endorsed 3 training institutions to conduct courses for Company Security Officers (CSOs) and Ship security Officers (SSOs). In addition, 3 training providers have been endorsed to conduct courses for the Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs). Other organisations have also applied to conduct PFSO courses, and MPA is currently evaluating their applications.

LEGISLATION

7. MPA is in the process of amending our shipping regulations under the Merchant Shipping Act (MSA), and the port regulations under the MPA Act to give effect to the IMO maritime security measures.

COMPLIANCE BY 1 JULY 2004 AND EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION

8. There is a great deal to do in a short period. In the case of Singapore, we have about 1,000 ships that need to comply with the requirements of SOLAS Chapter XI and the ISPS Code. We have another 2,000 ships that interface with those that comply and would need to implement the relevant security measures to ensure that they do not contaminate the compliant ships.

9. In addition, we have 134 port facilities that would be affected by the port facility security measures. Singapore is also a busy hub port serving ships from all over the world, including cruise ships and oil/chemical tankers.

10. The challenge for us is to ensure that our ships and port facilities comply fully with the maritime security measures before 1 July 2004, that they continue to do so after the deadline, and that the ships visiting our port facilities are also in full compliance. This is not an easy task. We have to make sure that our shipping and port industry is prepared well ahead. This is to avoid the possibility that there may be some who succumb to taking short cuts and compromise security in order to meet the deadline. At the same time, we also have to balance the needs of the industry to operate efficiently and effectively. We have to show our industry that the security measures are there to flush out terrorist activities, not to hamper trade and commerce.

11. We have established an inter-agency committee, with representatives from the relevant government agencies, to look into the various aspects of the maritime security regime and will continue to provide our shipping and port communities with timely updates. The communities in Singapore affected by the maritime security regime are gearing up for a mind change in the way the ships and port facilities are to be operated around the world.

12. Our shipowners and port facilities operators are taking steps to comply with the requirements of the maritime security regime. We understand that many of them were initially at a loss when it comes to engaging the consultants and training providers. To help them make the right selection, we endorsed the companies that provide such services when we are satisfied that the companies have the necessary expertise, capability and infrastructure. There is also a benefit to us in that we would be confident that our shipping and port industries are given the appropriate skills and knowledge when they engage the companies that we endorsed. Our port facilities are also making sure that they comply with the relevant provisions of SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and the ISPS Code, such as submitting the Port Facility Security Plan for approval, even though they already have the necessary port security measures in place.

13. MPA will be conducting a pre-verification security compliance campaign from January 2004. Specifically, MPA's Flag State Implementation Officers will be conducting shipboard inspections of Singapore-flagged ships to check on the ships' compliance with the IMO maritime security measures. The purpose of the exercise is to monitor the extent of preparedness and status of compliance of Singapore-flagged ships, and to remind shipmasters and agents of the requirements of the IMO maritime security measures with a view to ensuring their compliance when the measures come into force in Jul 2004.

14. Ships visiting Singapore shall also be subject to similar checks for the same purpose. From January to June 2004, our Port State Control Officers will conduct the pre-verification security compliance checks in addition to their port state control inspections. From January 2004, we will require all ships requesting for entry to submit a declaration of their compliance. Those who have not complied will be reminded that they need to comply by 1 Jul 2004 or they will be denied entry into the port.

CONCLUSION

15. We have less than 7 months to comply with the measures to enhance maritime security as specified in SOLAS Chapter XI and the ISPS Code. We need to ensure that the maritime security regime that we have adopted at the IMO will be effectively implemented so as not to allow shipping and port facilities to become soft targets for terrorism.

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