The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has announced a series of corrective measures following the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) report for the financial year 2024/25. The report highlighted issues in tender evaluation, payment verification, and the legal basis for certain fees and concessions. MPA is actively working to address these concerns to ensure compliance and prevent future occurrences.
The AGO identified a discrepancy in a tender evaluation where scores were influenced by documentation from a tenderer’s subsidiary, which was not specified in the submission. In response, MPA has revised its evaluation protocols to include capabilities of entities within a tenderer’s group, provided these are clearly declared in the tender documents.
Additionally, the AGO noted that payments for six operational service contracts were made without adequate verification of service delivery. MPA has since reviewed these contracts and confirmed service delivery through logs and supporting records. Measures have been implemented to ensure thorough checks and verification of documentation before future payments are approved.
The report also revealed that MPA has been collecting fees for marine dumping and monitoring services without formal legislative backing. These fees, which support the management of dumping activities, have been in place since MPA’s establishment in 1996. MPA is now taking steps to amend legislation to address this issue and legitimise past fees collected.
Furthermore, MPA has implemented port dues concessions without formal legislative prescription. These concessions aim to support Singapore’s maritime competitiveness and cater to public sector and community-related users. MPA is reviewing these schemes and will formalise them in law if they continue.
MPA reaffirms its commitment to good financial governance, fiscal accountability, and prudent management of public funds. The authority is dedicated to strengthening internal controls to uphold public trust and operational excellence.
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