Unni Einemo


News that Petco's application for a Singapore bunkering license has been rejected has led to speculation that the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore will not issue any new licenses until the new Accreditation Scheme for Bunker Suppliers is fully implemented in June 2005.

The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) told major newswires today that an application for a Singapore bunkering license by Petco, the trading arm of Malaysian state-oil company Petronas, has been rejected. The decision came as a surprise to most market sources, especially as this contradicts a report last week that Petco had already been granted a licence last month to sell and supply bunkers in the port.

In an e-mailed statement to newswires, the MPA stated that "We already have issued adequate licenses to many suppliers providing bunkering services. At this point in time, MPA is in the process of reviewing and consolidating Singapore's bunkering industry, with special focus on raising the quality standards of all licensees." ......
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