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The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has announced that it will provide financial assistance to bunker suppliers that comply with SS 524:2006 under the MPA's Accreditation Scheme for Bunker Suppliers.

In a statement released this week, the MPA says that from June 1st 2007, all bunker suppliers in Singapore are required to engage a certification body which is accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) for Quality Management System (QMS) to certify their compliance with the SS 524:2006.

To assist the bunker industry with the compliance cost, the MPA will be providing a 30 percent financial assistance to bunker suppliers who attain the SS 524:2006 certification on a reimbursement basis.

Bunker suppliers may submit their applications for financial assistance to the MPA’s Marine Services Department once they have attained the accreditation status.

The application form for the financial assistance is attached as Annex 1. The deadline for application is December 31st 2008.

For further enquiries of the scheme, please contact Ms Caroline Kok on +65 6325 2839.