Singapore to chair the Aids to Navigation Fund (ANF) Committee from 2013 to 2015, & hosts the 10th Meeting of the ANF Committee.
The ANF, one of the three pillars under the Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), was established in 2007 to fund the renewal and maintenance of aids to navigation in the SOMS.
In connection with the recent meeting, Singapore has signed a Letter of Acknowledgement with the Republic of Korea to affirm the latter's commitment to the ANF for another three years, following its contributions from 2009 to 2012.
At the welcome reception organised to acknowledge the contributors to the ANF, Guest-of-Honour, Mr Pang Kin Keong, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Transport, said, "The Straits of Malacca and Singapore is an important shipping lane that supports the bulk of the maritime trade between Europe, the Middle East and East Asia. The ANF supports the maintenance of navigational aids that facilitate safe navigation in the SOMS. Singapore is honoured to chair the ANF Committee for the next three years, and looks forward to working closely with the littoral States, user States, the shipping industry and other stakeholders of the SOMS to enhance the effectiveness of the ANF in promoting safe, open and clean shipping in the SOMS."
Since its inception, the ANF has received contributions totalling US$15.3 million. Contributors to the ANF include The Nippon Foundation, International Foundation for Aids to Navigation Fund, Malacca Strait Council, the Republic of India, United Arab Emirates, the People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, the International Maritime Organization, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Japan.