PORT OF SINGAPORE AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.43 p.m.

The Minister of State for Communications (Dr Ang Kok Peng): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

First of all, permit me to give a brief background of this Bill. The operational functions of the Marine Department include the licensing of harbour craft, port clearance, the dissemination of navigational information and the recovery of wrecks. These functions should properly be exercised by the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) whose Port Master is responsible for the seaward control of the harbour, harbour safety, tug services, berthing and piloting, as well as the supervision and direction of ships and shipping.

The prime objective of this Bill is to rationalise the distribution of maritime functions between the Marine Department and the PSA. The Bill proposes the transfer of the following functions of the Marine Department to the PSA:-

(i) Licensing of harbour craft (Clause 12(a))

The PSA to have jurisdiction over the licensing of harbour craft which operate solely within port limits. Harbour craft are operated by certificated steersmen and the examination and issue of certificates to steersmen would then become the PSA's responsibility.

(ii) Port entry and clearance (Clause 12 (c))

Since control of shipping in port is the PSA's responsibility, it is only logical that this function is also exercised by the PSA. This will also simplify the collection of shipping statistics.

(iii) Dissemination of navigational information (Clause 3 (b) paragraph (e))

At present the Marine Department issues notices to mariners while the Port Master issues notices to ships in the harbour. Since the PSA will take over the provision and maintenance of navigational aids and is also responsible for hydrographic work, the dissemination of navigational information should properly also be a function of the PSA.

(iv) Recovery of wrecks

While the Director of Marine is officially the receiver of wrecks, actual wreck recovery is undertaken by the PSA or by private firms since the Marine Department has no salvage facilities. This function should be the responsibility of the PSA as it relates to harbour safety.

The PSA will also take over from the Singapore Light Dues Board the responsibility for provision and maintenance of navigational aids for the safe navigation of ships in Singapore waters (clause 3 (b) paragraph (d)).

The transfer of these functions which deal with shipping activities within the port, from the Marine Department to the PSA, is a logical move and is indeed necessary as a consequence of the growth of shipping in our port. When these functions are transferred to the PSA, the Marine Department will be able to concentrate on specialised marine matters so that Singapore's maritime interests are effectively advanced. This will enable us to take greater advantage of our strategic location as a major shipping and trade centre. The Department would be able to exert more efforts to enhance the attractiveness of the Singapore Registry of Ships by providing more efficient service to the 800 ships, totalling some 1.7 million gross registered tons, at present flying the Singapore flag.

Opportunity is also taken to make other amendments to the Port of Singapore Authority Act, generally to tighten control of activities and operations within port waters. The Bill will enable the Port to effectively supervise the users of the seas around Singapore to ensure that they do not pollute the seas or rivers or cause navigational hazards (clause 13). The PSA will also be empowered to levy rates for removal of oil pollution and other services, and to levy dues, including garbage removal dues. Existing sections dealing with dues and rates are replaced with more comprehensive provisions to enable the PSA to charge proper dues and rates (clause 8).

The First Schedule to the Port of Singapore Authority Act is also amended to reduce the membership of the PSA from 14 to 9 and to make the period of office more flexible (clause 18). A compact Board will be able to discharge its functions more effectively and expeditiously. Present members will continue to serve until they complete their terms of office.

I am confident that the PSA will achieve the basic objective of this reorganisation exercise which is to eliminate wastage of manpower and resources, and to ensure greater efficiency and better co-ordination of personnel dealing with related shipping matters.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

2.51 p.m.

Mr N. Govindasamy (Telok Blangah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I support most of the moves and the changes that are taking place in the PSA. But I am a little perturbed about one or two matters. Firstly, over the last two years, the PSA's work has increased. The Authority is taking over the function of the Light Dues Board. On one previous occasion I raised an objection to the Authority being in charge of pollution when we already have a Department in the Government to look into pollution problems. It is a well known fact that the PSA not only deals with matters concerning the port but it has also gone into business, like building houses for its staff and building hawker centres, not in conformity with the Government's policy of providing cheap housing for our citizens and of building cheap hawker centres for the hawkers. Can something be done about this?

The other point I want to raise is the reduction of membership of the PSA. At the moment, the NTUC is represented in the PSA. Will the reduction of membership affect the NTUC representation in the PSA?

Dr Ang Kok Peng: Mr Speaker, Sir, as regards cheap housing for the staff of the PSA, we will look into the matter to see whether the present housing scheme is really not sufficiently economical for them.

As regards the second question, the NTUC will be represented in the reconstituted PSA.

Mr N. Govindasamy: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister of State missed the point about hawker centres.

Dr Ang Kok Peng: Mr Speaker, Sir, when I gave my answer about housing, I meant to include hawker centres in our consideration.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Ang Kok Peng].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.