• 2020 December 2 14:26

    SG-STAR Fund taskforce develops CrewSafe audit programme and attracts more global partners

    MPA says the Singapore Shipping Tripartite Alliance Resilience (SG-STAR) Fund is the first global ground-up tripartite initiative with international partners including the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) and the International Chamber of Shipping, to work with stakeholders in seafaring nations on concrete solutions for safe crew changes, starting with the Philippines.

    The SG-STAR Fund is recently joined with support from more international organisations - Global Maritime Forum Maritime Industry Crew Change Taskforce, INTERTANKO, Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, and World Shipping Council, as well as seven port authorities from Abu Dhabi, Antwerp, Barcelona, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Sines, and Vancouver. 

    The SG-STAR Fund Taskforce (SFTF), led by the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), with members from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Singapore Maritime Officer’s Union and Singapore Organisation of Seamen, has developed a CrewSafe audit programme based on Singapore’s crew change model, to establish safe and scalable ‘corridors’ for crew change. This will help ensure quality checks on quarantine/holding, medical and swabbing facilities in crew-supplying countries. Please refer to Annex A for more details.

    The SFTF has appointed auditors to conduct assessments at the recently inaugurated IMEC-ITF safe quarantine processes and facilities in Manila, Philippines, namely St. Giles Hotel and Marriot Hotel, as well as the safe quarantine processes by the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association at Marriot Hotel and the AMOSUP Seamen’s Hospital Molecular & PCR Laboratory. SFTF expressed satisfaction that these facilities fulfil the CrewSafe criteria, complying with the following Safe Management Measures, among other requirements. Please refer to Annex B for the listing of these four facilities.

    SFTF is looking at further enhancements of the CrewSafe audit programme, which could include the use of electronic tamper-proof smart wearable devices while the crew are in quarantine, as well as secure document processing for onboarding crew.

    Given the endorsement by the auditors, MPA will streamline application procedures for sign-on crew from these accredited facilities boarding ships in Singapore, in line with the objective of facilitating crew change in a safe and responsible manner.  

     “Singapore takes our responsibility to facilitate safe crew change seriously. We are pleased to work with our global tripartite partners to accelerate the development of practical solutions for crew change amid the pandemic. We are also pleased to have the support of ports from Abu Dhabi, Antwerp, Barcelona, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Sines, and Vancouver, as well as international maritime organisations such as the Global Maritime Forum Maritime Industry Crew Change Taskforce, INTERTANKO, Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, and World Shipping Council to recognise the CrewSafe and other programmes by the SG-STAR Fund as a global initiative to facilitate safe crew change. We look forward to welcoming more like-minded partners to join us in this global alliance,” said Ms Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of MPA.

    “The SFTF aims to have a gradual global recognition of the CrewSafe process that identifies the safe and secure facilities. Such acknowledgements by national governments and international organisations will ensure greater participation and bring a long-term solution to crew movement across national borders,” said Mr Nitin Mathur, SSA Council Member and Chair of the SFTF.


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2024 March 27

18:22 Bureau Veritas awards world’s first prototype certification for SolarDuck’s floating offshore solar solution
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14:53 Ocean Installer secures yet another SLM contract with Equinor
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13:42 Carnival Cruise Line orders 5th Excel-class cruise ship
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12:52 The Port Authority of Valencia launches the ZAL project in the Port of Valencia
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2024 March 26

18:02 COSCO Shipping Lines introduces new Americas service
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16:57 Terntank places an order for 1+1 additional wind/ methanol-ready hybrid tanker
16:28 BW LNG completes acquisition of two TFDE vessels from Stena Bulk
15:50 Hanwha Ocean develops VR-based special vehicle simulator
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14:52 Wärtsilä Lifecycle Agreement to guarantee operational reliability of new wind farm installation vessel
14:23 Hudong-Zhonghua launches two LNG carriers
13:51 Cargo ship hits Baltimore’s Key Bridge
13:12 Final sanctioned tanker with Russian Sokol oil to reach China port - Reuters
12:42 Adani Ports acquires 95% of Odisha's Gopalpur Port from SP Group for $162 million
12:21 IHI and Yara Clean Ammonia agree to jointly assess clean ammonia business collaboration
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2024 March 25

18:07 The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore continues to investigate reports of oil spills off the port of Tuas
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11:16 Inland Ports meet in Paris to talk about the innovation potential of inland ports
10:50 IMO agrees possible outline for maritime “net-zero framework”
10:24 Hapag-Lloyd to continue to avoid the Red Sea route
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2024 March 24

16:18 Inchgreen Marine Park upgraded as part of £11m investment
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13:07 First LNG powered vessel calls at HIP
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11:32 Equinor ASA posts net income at USD 11.9 billion in 2023
09:25 Edda Wind announces the sale of Edda Passat