A Singapore set up JL Petroleum has pleaded guilty in court on 18 August and was fined for supplying bunkers in Singapore port without a valid bunker supplier licence issued by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
In an announcement on Wednesday, MPA said it brought charges against JL Petroleum for selling bunkers on 14 occasions between 2-25 June 2013. In addition, the company had also used the Bunker Delivery Notes (BDNs) belonging to licensed bunker supplier Excel Petroleum Enterprise for the deliveries.
MPA had cancelled Excel Petroleum’s bunker supplier licence on 15 January 2014 for the company’s involvement in this case, as its actions had breached the terms and conditions of the licence.
JL Petroleum was fined for an undisclosed sum, according to the MPA announcement.
“All bunker suppliers operating in the port of Singapore must be licensed by MPA, and all licensees must adhere strictly to the terms and conditions of the licence. Any licensee found to have contravened any terms and conditions will have his licence suspended or cancelled,” MPA stated.
“MPA adopts a zero tolerance approach towards bunkering malpractices and will not hesitate to take action against any unlicensed entity operating in the port of Singapore,” it said, adding that licensed companies should refrain from delivering bunkers on behalf of any person, firm or company that is not a bunker supplier licensed by MPA.
Over the last few years, MPA has revoked the bunkering licences of several bunker companies for breaching the licensing requirements, due mainly to allowing other companies to use their government-approved BDNs to supply bunkers.
As at 5 August 2015, MPA listed a total of 59 accredited, or licensed, bunker suppliers in Singapore
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