Forging Ahead - Singapore Shipping Association

➥ Skills Programme for Upgrading & Resilience
(SPUR)
Some 580 maritime personnel were trained
last year under the SSA Executive Development
Programme. This number is expected to double
to at least 1000 trainees for 2009 with SPUR
subsidies. Additional runs and day classes are
being organised to meet the increased demand.
The SSA collaborated with MPA, the Workforce
and Development Agency (WDA) and Singapore
Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (SISEU)
to obtain SPUR funding for all SSA-run shipping
courses to help companies reduce training costs
and build new capabilities in preparation for the
economic recovery.
Under the SPUR programme, Singaporeans and
Permanent Residents are eligible to claim for 90%
of course fees and absentee payroll subsidies from
the Skills Development Fund when attending SSArun
courses.
In light of this successful collaboration, the SSA
was awarded the May Day Model Partnership
Award (Institutional Category) 2009.
MPA, WDA, SISEU and SSA receiving the Model Partnership Award.
(Left to right: Mr Tay Yeow Min of MPA, Mr Bob Tan of SNEF, Mr Ong
Kieng Hwee of WDA, Mr John De Payva of NTUC, Mr Steven Goh of SISEU,
Mr Gan Kim Yong Minister of Manpower, Mr S.S. Teo of SSA)
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Technical Committee
Councillor Mr Goh Teik Poh, President, South Asia,
Neptune Orient Lines Ltd chairs the Technical
Committee. He has two sub-committees under his
care, namely the Maritime Security Sub-Committee
and the Tanker Sub-Committee.
Provided below is a summary of the main issues that
have been addressed by the Committee and its Subcommittees
during the period in review:
➥ Industry Container Best Practice Guidelines
Following UK MAIB investigations into the
Annabella and the MV Napoli, an Industry
Working Group was formed by the ICS Marine
Committee to develop a Code of Best Practice for
the container industry.
Members of the Technical Committee were
actively involved in discussions of the Working
Group, and following the adoption of the fi nal
draft, the International Chamber of Shipping has
since published the ‘Best Practices Guidelines for
Safe Transport of Containers By Sea’.
The Guidelines highlight such problems as
incorrect packing and misdeclaration of weights
by other parties in the transport chain, as well as
issues directly relevant to containership operators,
shipping agents, freight forwarders, ports and
terminal operators and in particular, the Shippers
from whom the cargo originates. All of these
players have important responsibilites which are
addressed by these new industry Guidelines.