MPA defers rise in port dues

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

31 Dec 2008

The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has announced plans to delay the scheduled increase in port dues on old bunker tankers to help shipping companies through the current financial crisis, writes the Straits Times. The deferment will help more than 100 bunker tankers MPA said. As part of an effort to grow a younger, more efficient and greener fleet of tankers in Singapore's port, in March this year, MPA intended to introduce a 5% increase in the duties on tankers that have been in operation for 16 years or more to 15% - originally intended to take effect from Jan 1 2009. This duty increase is aimed at discouraging the operation of older tankers on the premise that they are a higher risk to the marine environment and also less efficient. This has now been deferred a year to Jan 1, 2010.
'We hope this deferment will contribute towards helping the industry adjust to the changing business climate,' MPA's group director (Hub Port) Captain M Segar said. 'The bunkering industry is an important component of Singapore's maritime cluster, and integral to our growth as a premier hub port.'

Source: SeaTradeAsia-Online