STRONG cooperation between the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and the government was highlighted at the association's 23rd anniversary dinner last night.
'Working together over the years, SSA and the government have fostered a business-friendly environment that has enabled the industry to grow,' said Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua.
With more than 350 members, SSA is one of the world's largest national shipping associations, covering shipowners, maritime service providers, classification societies and maritime lawyers, Ms Lim said.
Because of the global nature of shipping, Singapore's maritime industry will not be immune to the troubles in Europe and the US, she noted. 'We can expect rougher seas ahead. But even as attention is diverted to deal with these squalls, we must continue to upgrade our competitiveness and attractiveness as a location for maritime businesses - be it in terms of enhancing our incentives, deepening the sophistication of our cluster, or investing in R&D and human capital.'
The tough times ahead were on the minds of many at the dinner, as voiced by SSA president SS Teo. But the industry will pull through, he said. 'All is not doom and gloom. Our foundation - as a premier shipping hub, bunkering hub, ship management centre, repair and supply base and maritime finance centre (especially in a time like this) - is strong and will weather this downturn cycle as it has previous ones.
'We are also blessed with an astute and prudent, yet pro-business, government that is receptive to our industry's feedback. And with its help and support, we will get through these difficult times.'
Ms Lim stressed the need to develop human capital despite the downturn. 'Taking a long-term view, the maritime industry in Asia will grow,' she said. 'Singapore can only capture this growth if we have the people. But attracting and developing talent demands sustained effort and cannot follow the vagaries of the business cycle. The government remains committed to working with the industry to meet its manpower requirements.'
She highlighted the success of the MaritimeONE platform in helping to meet these requirements. For example, from April to July, there were 300 job postings by 50 companies and 11,800 unique hits on MaritimeONE's careers web-portal. In addition, 42 scholarships and sponsorship awards worth a total of more than $3.7 million were given out to promising students under the auspices of MaritimeONE in July.
Addressing last night's dinner, International Maritime Organization secretary-general EE Mitropoulos focused on rising piracy off Somalia, the problem of seafarer recruitment and retention, and shipping and its contribution to atmospheric pollution and climate change.
This article was first published in The Business Times on October 17, 2008.
