As of 1 June 2005, a total of 75 bunker suppliers have been awarded Certificates of Accreditation for successfully meeting the requirements of the Accreditation Scheme for Bunker Suppliers. The scheme is an initiative by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to recognise good bunker suppliers and deter malpractice in the industry.

The Accreditation Scheme was launched on 1 June 2003, and all bunker suppliers were given up to two years to meet the accreditation requirements. The requirements include:
1.having a minimum paid-up capital of S$200,000;
2.putting in place a Quality Management System for Bunker Supply Chain (QMBS), based on the Technical Reference on QMBS (TR8 : 2003) published by SPRING Singapore; and
3.satisfying a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) monitored over a 12-month period.

In May 2003, just before the launch of the Accreditation Scheme, there were 94 bunker suppliers operating in the port. Of the 94, 75 achieved accreditation at the end of the two-year qualifying period. Of the remaining 19, some had decided not to renew their bunkering licences, while those who failed to attain all of the accreditation requirements did not have their licences renewed from 1 June 2005.

The Accreditation Scheme for Bunker Suppliers gives assurance to bunker buyers of the reliability and quality of bunkering services in Singapore. It provides bunker suppliers with a formal system to ensure the quality of their product. The accredited bunker suppliers will have to continue to meet the accreditation requirements in order to renew their bunkering licences every year. The MPA will continue to monitor their compliance with the requirements before renewing their licences.

With the entry into force of MARPOL Annex VI (Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) on 19 May 2005, all the 75 accredited bunker suppliers are also required to comply with the sulphur content limit requirements stated by the convention. Based on checks conducted by MPA, all the 75 accredited bunker suppliers have been able to comply with the requirements. They have issued the Bunker Delivery Note and submitted the representative sample as required, and there has been no disruption to bunkering operations in the port.

Bunkering remains an important economic activity of the Singapore port, generating some S$7 billion a year in revenues. Through the introduction of various measures and initiatives such as the Singapore Standard Code of Practice for Bunkering (SS CP60), the Singapore Standard Code of Practice for Bunker Surveying (SS CP77), the Accreditation Scheme for Bunker Suppliers and Special Bunkering Anchorages, bunker volumes sold in Singapore have been steadily rising over the years. 2004 alone saw a record 23.6 million tonnes of bunkers sold, an increase of 13.3% compared to 2003. In the first four months of this year, bunker volumes reached 8.1 million tonnes, up 8.7% over the same period last year.

End of Release.

Attached:

List of accredited bunker suppliers in Singapore