China, Singapore begin e-certificate for port clearance, port state control

The China Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on electronic certificates.

The MOU was inked at the 11th China-Singapore Senior Officials’ Committee Meeting (SOCM) in Beijing, China, on September 5, 2019.

As informed, under the MOU, the maritime authorities of China and Singapore will cooperate in the issuance, use and acceptance of electronic certificates to facilitate port clearance and port state control inspections.

The use of electronic certificates is expected to improve the efficiency of port clearance and reduce the administrative burden on shipping companies and ships, allowing for effective enforcement by maritime and port authorities.

According to the MPA, the MOU builds upon the partnership between the two countries under the 2011 MOU on Maritime, Shipping and Port Cooperation. It is also said to advance the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)