Merchant Shipping Act
(CHAPTER 179, Sections 8, 44, 45 and 216)
Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Regulations*
*  Replaces Rg 7, 1990 Ed. (S 315/81)
Rg 7
G.N. No. S 55/1996

REVISED EDITION 1997
(15th June 1997)
[2nd February 1996]
Citation
1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Regulations.
Application of these Regulations
1A.—(1)  These Regulations do not apply to any pleasure craft.
(2)  Regulations 3, 4 and 5 do not apply to any ship, tug or barge registered before 28 September 1981.
[S 162/2020 wef 01/07/2020]
PART I
CONDITIONS FOR REGISTRY OF SHIPS
Definitions of this Part
2.  In this Part —
“age”, in relation to a ship, means the difference between —
(a)the year in which its keel was laid, or was at a similar stage of construction; and
(b)the year in which it is to be registered as a Singapore ship;
“citizen of Singapore” includes a permanent resident of Singapore;
“foreign owned ship” means a ship that is not locally owned;
“local company” means a company in which all or a majority of the shares are owned by persons who are —
(a)citizens of Singapore; or
(b)companies in which, or which have holding companies in which, all or a majority of the shares are owned by persons who are citizens of Singapore or local companies.
Owners of ships registered under Part II of Act
3.  The following persons are qualified to be owners of ships which are to be registered under Part II of the Act:
(a)citizens of Singapore; and
(b)bodies corporate incorporated in Singapore.
Closure of registry of certain tugs, barges and ships
4.  The registry of a tug or a barge, or a ship of less than 1,600 gross tons and owned wholly or partly by —
(a)a local company shall be closed if all or a majority of the shares in the company or its holding company, if any, are; or
(b)a citizen of Singapore shall be closed if any share in the tug or barge or ship is,
transferred to a person who is not a citizen of Singapore or another local company.
Conditions for registry
5.—(1)  A ship, other than a tug or barge referred to in paragraph (2), owned wholly or partly by a company shall not be registered unless the company has a minimum paid-up capital of $50,000.
(2)  A tug or barge owned wholly or partly by a local company which owns only tugs or barges or both shall not be registered unless each of the local company and its holding company, if any, has —
(a)where the value of the tug or barge is not less than $100,000, a minimum paid-up capital of —
(i)10% of the value of the tug or barge; or
(ii)$50,000,
whichever is the less; or
(b)where the value of the tug or barge is less than $100,000, a minimum paid-up capital of $10,000.
(3)  A bareboat charter ship shall not be registered by a bareboat charterer which —
(a)is a company; and
(b)is not the registered owner of any Singapore ship,
unless the bareboat charterer has a minimum paid-up capital of $50,000.
(4)  Notwithstanding paragraph (1), any ship referred to in that paragraph which is owned wholly or partly by a company may be registered if the company, or any related corporation of the company —
(a)has registered, applied to register or informed the Registrar that it will apply to register —
(i)2 ships having an aggregate tonnage of at least 40,000 net tons;
(ii)3 ships having an aggregate tonnage of at least 30,000 net tons;
(iii)4 ships having an aggregate tonnage of at least 20,000 net tons; or
(iv)5 or more ships having any aggregate tonnage; and
(b)has satisfied such terms and conditions as the Registrar may impose.
(5)  Where —
(a)a ship referred to in paragraph (1) —
(i)is owned wholly or partly by a company that does not satisfy the minimum paid-up capital requirement therein; and
(ii)is registered by virtue of paragraph (4); and
(b)any application referred to in paragraph (4)(a) —
(i)is not made within the time allowed by the Registrar; or
(ii)is not granted,
the Registrar may direct the company to satisfy the minimum paid-up capital requirement, and if the company fails to comply with the Registrar’s direction within such time as the Registrar may specify, the registry of the ship shall be closed by the Minister.
(6)  Where —
(a)any company which is required to have the minimum paid-up capital under paragraph (1) for the registry of any ship referred to in that paragraph; or
(b)any local company or holding company which is required to have the minimum paid-up capital under paragraph (2) for the registry of any tug or barge referred to in that paragraph,
reduces its paid-up capital below that minimum, the registry of the ship, tug or barge, as the case may be, shall be closed by the Minister.
(7)  Paragraph (2) shall apply to a local company only in respect of the first tug or barge to be registered by the local company.
(8)  In this regulation —
“bareboat charter ship” has the same meaning as in regulation 23;
“holding company” and “related corporation” have the same meanings as in the Companies Act (Cap. 50).
[S 104/2004 wef 05/03/2004]
6.  [Deleted by S 162/2020 wef 01/07/2020]
7.  [Deleted by S 104/2004 wef 05/03/2004]
Registry of foreign owned and locally owned ships
8.—(1)  No foreign owned ship shall be registered unless it is —
(a)fitted with mechanical means of self-propulsion; and
(b)of not less than 1,600 gross tons.
(2)  No ship above 17 years of age shall be registered unless the Registrar is satisfied that the ship is in a satisfactory condition in all respects.
(3)  Paragraph (2) shall not apply to a Singapore ship which is registered anew under section 19(1) or 34(1) of the Act.
Application for registry
9.—(1)  A corporation applying for the registry of a ship under section 11 of the Act shall submit to the Registrar the following particulars:
(a)the name of the corporation;
(b)the name, address and nationality of its chairman or president;
(c)the name, address and nationality of each of its directors;
(d)[Deleted by S 59/2006 wef 30/01/2006]
(e)its paid-up capital;
(f)the name, address and nationality of every shareholder of the corporation and the number of shares held by each shareholder; and
(g)such other information as the Registrar may require.
(2)  The owner and manager of a ship shall, when applying for the registry of the ship, submit to the Registrar such particulars as the Registrar may require.
[S 96/2003 wef 01/03/2003]
(3)  The owner or manager of a ship shall notify the Registrar of any change in any of the particulars submitted under this regulation within 30 days of the change.
[S 96/2003 wef 01/03/2003]
(3A)  Where a change in particulars reported under this regulation is in respect of the residential address of the owner or manager of a ship, the owner or manager shall be deemed to have complied with paragraph (3) if he has made a report of the change under section 8 of the National Registration Act (Cap. 201) within 28 days thereof.
[S 96/2003 wef 01/03/2003]
(4)  The Registrar may at any time require the owner of a ship to produce such documentary evidence of any of the particulars submitted under this regulation as he thinks fit.
[G.N. Nos. S 55/96; S 232/97]