Singapore Flag Qualifies For USCG Qualship 21 Programme Again

The Singapore flag Administration's steadfast commitment to quality and safety has been recognised by the United State Coast Guard (USCG) through its QUALSHIP 21 programme (Quality Shipping for the 21st Century). We are pleased to announce the Singapore flag has qualified again for the USCG QUALSHIP 21 programme starting on 1 July 2017. The QUALSHIP 21 programme aims to eliminate substandard shipping by providing incentives to high quality ships (registered with an eligible flag) to encourage quality operations. Singapore ships which meet the eligibility criteria can now submit their applications to USCG to be certified as a QUALSHIP 21 ship. QUALSHIP 21 ships will be rewarded with incentives such as having their ship's name posted on the USCG website and EQUASIS, being subjected to reduced scope of annual PSC examinations and oversight and being issued with QUALSHIP 21 certificates. In 2016, the USCG conducted 682 safety examinations on Singapore ships and detained five (5) ships. This led to the Singapore flag attaining an annual PSC detention ratio of 0.73% and a 3-year rolling average detention ratio (2014-2016) of 1.0% in the United States (qualifying criteria for QUALSHIP 21). We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation to our shipowners, ship managers, masters and crew on Singapore ships, as well as our Recognised Organisations, for their excellent efforts and commitment to operate and maintain Singapore ships at its highest standards. We look forward to our continual cooperation to keep the Singapore flag flying high!

Eligibility criteria for USCG QUALSHIP 21 can be found in the USCG PSC Annual Report 2016 (website: www.uscg.mil/hq/cgcvc/cvc2/psc/annual.asp)