Looking Back at 2014

Singapore’s maritime industry had seen an eventful year in 2014 as MPA launched several key initiatives in areas such as Sustainable Shipping and Maritime Safety under our Chief Executive, Mr Andrew Tan.

Driving Sustainability in the Maritime Industry

As part of our effort and commitment to promote sustainable growth in the maritime industry, MPA had established the MPA Sustainability Office in April 2014. We had also organised the 2nd Singapore Registry of Ships (SRS) Forum, themed “Sustainable Shipping”, to focus on the importance of sustainable maritime development.

Chief Executive of MPA, Mr Andrew Tan, giving his opening address at the 2nd SRS Forum.

One of the highlights of the 2nd SRS Forum was the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between MPA and Singapore Management University (SMU) to promote research and innovation for a clean and green Next Generation Port. This MOU complements the two MOUs signed earlier with DNV GL and ABS, which are aimed at promoting R&D and innovation in the wider maritime industry.

MOU between SMU and MPA, signed by Professor Steven Miller, Vice Provost (Research) and Dean (School of Information Systems) of SMU, and Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA.

Quality Singapore Fleet

A quality fleet is a key cornerstone of sustainable shipping. The Singapore Flag has crossed the 82 million gross tonnage mark and is currently the fifth largest ship registry in the world with one of the youngest fleets. We are happy to share that our commitment to safety and quality has once again been recognised by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) through the qualification of the Quality Shipping for the 21st Century (or QUALSHIP 21) programme. Let us continue the excellent work to maintain and operate Singapore ships at the highest standards!

Risk Management

Taking the lead in risk management, MPA launched Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) as one of its corporate initiatives to foster a culture of risk awareness in the organisation. Beyond MPA, we have also worked with our partners to promote a culture of risk management for the industry. With the launch of the Safety@Sea Singapore campaign, we hope to instil a wider culture of risk management. We are pleased to have also organised the inaugural Safety@Sea Forum in November 2014 and look forward to the formation of the National Maritime Safety at Sea Council in 2015 to sustain the efforts.

Exercise Blue Dolphin 2014.

Notwithstanding the success achieved, it is important not to take our stability, safety and security for granted. To ensure that MPA remains in a high state of operational readiness, MPA has also conducted several contingency exercises including oil spills, temperature screening at cruise ship terminals and passenger ferry evacuation as part of our safety and contingency planning.

Looking Forward to 2015

For the shipping industry, there is growing pressure to operate in a responsible manner and the international regulatory landscape is constantly changing to improve the safety, security and efficiency of ships. There is also the international gravitation towards a sustainable global maritime transport system.

As we move forward towards sustainable growth and development, we must not forget that sustainable development is not just about addressing environmental concerns but also about ensuring the economic sustainability of the industry. MPA advocates a balanced approach in adopting effective and practical solutions that are not detrimental to the competiveness of the industry and has been working in close consultation with our stakeholders to achieve these outcomes.

When it comes to Maritime Safety, we hope to continue working with the maritime community to increase awareness of safe practices and inculcate a safety-first culture at sea. MPA will continue enforcement efforts to ensure compliance of rules and regulations, with a greater emphasis on navigational and ship board safety.

As we look back at 2014, let us look forward with hope to a 2015 that is full of new possibilities while anticipating any challenges ahead. Thank you for your support to MPA thus far, and we hope to see you at the next big event, Singapore Maritime Week, which will be held in April.



Tan Suan Jow
Director (Shipping Division)/Director of Marine/Director of Sustainability Office