Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Heng Swee Keat, DPM Heng announced the launch of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) ‘digitalPORT@SG’, a digital Portal for One-stop Regulatory Transactions, which is Singapore’s maritime single window system that will serve as a one-stop portal for maritime regulatory and port services transactions.
It will be developed in two phases: Phase 1 – users can obtain approval for all arriving and departing ships from three public agencies – MPA, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority and the National Environment Agency – through a single portal. The portal will consolidate up to 16 separate forms into a single application. This is expected to save the shipping industry an estimated 100,000 man-hours annually.
digitalPORT@SG will also have data exchange with port community systems such as Portnet and Jurong Port Online to receive relevant information including declaration on dangerous goods (DG) operations at the port terminals. The trial, which has started since 1 October 2019 for more than 10 companies, will be progressively rolled out to the industry from December 2019.
Phase 2 – the system will be enhanced to also serve as a single digital shopfront for booking terminal and marine services, facilitating just-in-time (JIT) operations for optimal vessel passage planning within Singapore port. These enhancements are expected to be operational from 2021.
DPM Heng Swee Keat outlined how the global maritime industry could take collective action for the future, including renewing the commitment to rules-based multilateralism, advocating maritime sustainability and fostering greater digital connectivity within the maritime value chain.
He encouraged global maritime leaders to take greater collective action to drive digitization and sustainability.
Ms Quah Ley Hoon, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) Chief Executive said: “The operating environment ahead for the maritime industry will be defined by three trends - digitization, disruption and decarbonisation. The unprecedented pace of change we face today would affect maritime trade flows, transform business models and impact our collective commitment to sustainability. These demands present the global maritime community with opportunities to come together and cooperate on these issues."
