Connect with us

Business

SSA, PSA, FHG set up Covid-19 vaccination centre for international seafarers at Singapore port

Vaccination programme is on a voluntary basis; companies and seafarers need to submit their applications, seven days before the crew arrives in Singapore.

Admin

Published

on

Chutter snap

Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) together with PSA and the Fullerton Health Group (FHG) on Friday (1 October) said they have set up a seafarers’ vaccination (SEAVAX) centre in Singapore.

The SSA-led initiative is supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) with funding from the Singapore Shipping Tripartite Resilience (SG-STAR) Fund.

The SG-STAR fund was established by Maritime Port and Authority (MPA) and SSA alongside seafarers’ unions the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS). 

In late 2020, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) joined the effort by contributing together USD500,000 to grow the SG-STAR fund to USD 1.2 million for use on projects to uphold crew welfare and safety through the pandemic.

Now the fund will be supporting a pilot programme to offer vaccination to oceangoing seafarers undertaking crew change in the port of Singapore. The centre, operational from 30 September, will administer vaccines to seafarers, starting with signing-on crew arriving in Singapore and joining vessels on the same day of their vaccination, says SSA.

Participation in the vaccination programme is on a voluntary basis. Companies and seafarers will need to submit their applications, seven days before the crew arrives in Singapore. This is to ensure compliance with the prevailing crew change protocols and vaccine arrangements.

“Seafarers are key maritime frontline workers and the backbone of international shipping. The SSA is pleased to be leading this tripartite initiative to help seafarers get the protection they need against the COVID-19 virus. We hope the experience with this pilot vaccination program will facilitate the scale-up of vaccinations for the wider seafaring community,” said Michael Phoon, Executive Director of SSA.

“This is an important step forward by both the local government and the shipping industry and it will go a long way in re-establishing Singapore’s leadership role in the fight against the pandemic and the protection of seafarers’ health and safeguarding of the global logistic chain. IMEC is proud to be a partner in this Tripartite cooperation and will continue to do so in future.” adds Captain Belal Ahmed, Chairman of the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC).

“This is a ground-breaking move by the Singaporean port authorities, seafarers’ unions and local shipping industry. Singapore has worked out that for any country to succeed in a globalised economy, particularly as a transport hub, you’ve got to be part of global solutions, national approaches won’t work. We need to see more countries look to Singapore’s leadership for the way forward. Follow Singapore, and let’s bring on the recovery we all need,” noted Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

 

Photo credit: CHUTTERSNAP from Unsplash
Published: 4 October, 2021

Continue Reading

Technology

Singapore: Ofiniti, ONE trial direct platform integration to streamline bunker workflows

Ofiniti started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform, with Ocean Network Express as its first buyer-side integration partner.

Admin

Published

on

By

Singapore: Ofiniti, ONE trial direct platform integration to streamline bunker workflows

Ofiniti, the digital platform for maritime fuel operations, on Tuesday (21 July) said it has started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform.

The company announced Singapore-headquartered container shipping firm Ocean Network Express (ONE) as its first buyer-side integration partner. 

“It is no coincidence we start in Singapore, as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) remains at the forefront of digitalisation of all things bunkering,” the company said in a social media post.

In November 2023, MPA launched its digital bunkering platform, becoming the world’s first port to implement e-BDN. 

Ofiniti said every bunker delivery still runs on retyped data. 

“The buyer’s system says one thing, the supplier says another, and someone reconciles the gap by email, phone, or PDF. On every stem,” the company said. 

“We built FuelBoss to change this reality.”

With the integration, operational data now flows without manual re-entry, fewer reconciliation errors and faster processing and data, instead of documents, are readily available for procurement and claims workflows. 

“One connection will not transform the industry on its own, but digitalisation gets built one integration at a time. We are grateful to ONE for being willing to go first,” Ofiniti added.

Manifold Times previously reported ONE completing its successful trial of the electronic Bunker Delivery Note (e-BDN) with Shell. 

The e-BDN trial, using the digital bunkering solution developed by Angsana Technology, was conducted on 9 September 2023 at the Port of Singapore, with support from the MPA.

In March 2025, Ofiniti acquired Singapore-based Angsana Technology, with the entire Angsana team joining Ofiniti as part of the acquisition.

Related: MPA Chief Executive: Port of Singapore begins digital bunkering initiative today
Related: Singapore set to become first port in the world to debut electronic bunker delivery notes
Related: ONE completes e-BDN adoption trial with Shell in Port of Singapore
Related: Ofiniti acquires Singapore-based Angsana Technology to advance digital bunkering solutions

 

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 22 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Admin

Published

on

By

RESIZED Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July). 

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions. 

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Founder OK Lim gets jail term slashed to 13.5 years

 

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Admin

Published

on

By

RESIZED Drew Beamer

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

  • That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

  • that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
  • that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
  • that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Related: Singapore: Director declares Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping’s inability to continue business
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
Related: Singapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Trending