We would advise Members that ships arriving in Singapore waters will soon be required to submit passage plans.

The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore has said that it plans to introduce the new requirement for ships operating in Singapore port's waters in phases from the end of this year. Initially the requirement for the submission of passage plans will be limited to piloted vessels of what the authority describes as a "sensitive nature" by the end of 2000. This category would include crude oil tankers, chemical tankers and passenger ships. From mid-2001, the authority plans to extend the scheme to all piloted vessels.

The MPA has said it will require the pilotage service provider to submit a passage plan to the shipmaster and to the port operations control centre before the pilot is embarked on the passage. The authority believes that the submission of passage plans will improve safety within the port's waters.

Source of information: YS Ng (Singapore)