The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has officially launched ‘digitalPORT@SG’, a digital portal for one-stop regulatory transactions, as part of efforts to promote decarbonization and digital collaboration with DNV GL.
It made the announcement at the Global Maritime Forum (GMF) Annual Summit in Singapore, which was attended by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Heng Swee Keat.
The portal will be developed in two phases. Phase 1 will allow users to obtain approval for all arriving and departing ships from three public agencies – the MPA, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the National Environment Agency – through a single portal.
It will consolidate up to 16 separate forms into a single application and will, therefore, save approximately 100,000 man-hours annually. There will also be data exchange community systems, such as Portnet and Jurong Port Online to receive relevant information, including a declaration on dangerous goods operations at the port terminals.
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The second phase will be enhanced to also serve as a single digital shopfront for booking terminal and marine services, facilitating just-in-time operations for optimal vessel passage planning within Singapore. These upgrades will be operational from 2021.
The ‘digitalPORT@SG’ initiative was launched with the signing of a memorandum-of-understanding (MoU), witnessed by Heng Swee Kaet, between Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive, MPA, and Remi Eriksen, Group President and Chief Executive Officer, DNV GL.
Quah Ley Hoon said that the operating environment for the maritime industry will be defined three trends – digitalization, disruption and decarbonisation.
“The unprecedented pace of change we face today would affect maritime trade flows, transform business models and impact our collective commitment to sustainability,” she said.
“These demands present the global maritime community with opportunities to come together and cooperate on these issues.
“MPA is happy to host the Global Maritime Forum’s Annual Summit this year and share Singapore’s perspectives.
“We will continue to drive innovation to take Maritime Singapore forward by facilitating data-sharing, readying our maritime supply chain systems for the future and pushing for closer partnerships with the industry and research communities.”
Remi Eriksen echoed those sentiments: “Decarbonisation and digitalization are two important trends shaping the maritime industry.
This agreement highlights the emphasis that MPA Singapore and DNV GL place on technological innovation and by working together we will unlock the potential of low and zero-carbon shipping, autonomy as wells as smart port ecosystems.”
