The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) has revoked Hong Fatt Oil Trading Pte Ltd and Tankoil Marine Services Pte Ltd’s respective bunker supplier and bunker craft operator licences, effective from February 9th 2015. The two companies can no longer operate as bunker suppliers or bunker craft operators regarding the Port of Singapore.
MPA’s current ongoing regulatory efforts aimed at ensuring the safety, reliability and quality of bunker supplies in Singapore have led to numerous routine checks, some of which were carried out last year on Hong Fatt Oil Trading Pte Ltd along with Tankoil Marine Services Pte Ltd.
MPA’s separate investigations concerning the two companies led to the revealing of several irregularities and false declarations in the records that were being kept on board their bunker tankers. Officials also found out incidences regarding transfers of bunkers between bunker tankers that were conducted without the approval of the MPA. Thus, the MPA has decided to ban the companies’ from the Port of Singapore as they have grossly breached the stipulations that derive from their respective bunker supplier and bunker craft operator licences.
The MPA advises all bunker suppliers and bunker craft operators to diligently comply with all of the terms and conditions of their bunker licences. The MPA is going to act without any hesitation in every case involving a licensee who has breached the terms and conditions of their licence, subsequently imposing a suspension or even revoking their bunker licence, depending on what course of action is deemed appropriate for the particular case in question.