Singapore's MPA Issues Bunker Survey Licences to 51 Companies

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday January 4, 2017

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) Tuesday announced that it has issued bunker survey licences to 51 companies, enabling them to operate in the Port of Singapore.

The licenses are noted to be valid from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017, and have been issued in accordance with the MPA regulation that requires all bunker surveying companies to be licensed, effective January 1, 2017.

"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," said Darajit Daud, Senior Manager, SGS Testing & Control Services Singapore Pte Ltd (SGS Testing & Control Services).

"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"

As Ship & Bunker has reported, the licensing scheme is intended to improve standards of bunker surveying companies, and to provide MPA with increased regulatory oversight of bunker surveying companies and bunker surveyors.

"SSA welcomes this initiative by MPA to license the bunkering surveying companies," said S K Lim, Chairman of the SSA Services Committee.

"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."

In December, Ship & Bunker reported that, in the run up to the mandated use of mass flow metering (MFM) systems for marine fuel oil (MFO) deliveries in Singapore, which came into effect on January 1, 2017, almost all fuel oil barges with a license to operate in Singapore had been approved MFM systems installed.