Singapore National Shippers' Council

Background

It took men of action, courage and vision to moot the idea of a national shippers' council. These men, representing the then Trade Division of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development Board and the various trade and industry groups in the private sector, attended a "mass" meeting on 20 May 1967. The meeting, convened by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, discussed specifically the conference contract system and the discrimination practiced against non-contract shippers. The meeting formed a shipping freight working committee, charging it to find ways and means of dealing with issues of "monopolistic" practices in shipping.

The Shipping Freight Working Committee did not waste time. It went to work promptly. It established the Shipping Freight Booking Centre Sdn Bhd, also known as the Fretcentre, in October 1968. The Fretcentre operated commercially, offering shippers alternative shipping services at competitive rates. It did so effectively, by having arrangements with non-conference carriers.

In September 1971, the Shipping Freight Working Committee elected the Pro-Term Committee which set in motion the inauguration of the Singapore National Shippers' Council signifying unity of efforts by Singapore shippers to take on shipping conferences. It exists as a private organisation with voluntary membership.

Objectives

The SNSC has the following objectives:

• To represent the interest of Singapore exporters, importers manufacturers, producers, trade associations, commodity associations and other organizations associated with trade in relation to transportation of goods and/or commodities.
• To secure the greatest possible cooperation between exporters, importers, manufacturers, producers, trade associations, commodity associations and other organizations associated with trade.
• To secure efficient economical and adequate shipping services and transport facilities.
• To present a united front in negotiations and consultations with transport operators, port authorities, governments and other organizations engaged in transportation services.
• To arrange for and/or obtain the most suitable mode and terms of transportation· To undertake all other things as the Council may deem fit to achieve the objectives set out herein.

Services/Activities

Advice to members

The Council takes up issues of principle or difficulties experienced by members with appropriate organisation. This includes monitoring, analysing, holding of consultations and negotiations on behalf of shippers as a whole with shipping conferences, rate agreements and independent lines. In addition the availability of useful and relevant materials at the Council provides a major source of information to shippers. It updates members on current major issues and developments in the shipping industry.


Publications

The Council publishes an Annual Report and a bi-monthly magazine called the Shippers' Times. The magazine which supercedes the former six page in-house newsletter is distributed free to all members and other interested readers in the shipping community, financial institutions, institutions of higher learning and shippers' organisations overseas. It features a wide range of topics including current shipping issues, changes in freight rates and surcharges, ports surveys and other relevant statistics to keep shippers fully informed of conditions and activities which affect their business.


Educational Activities

The council organises training courses, workshops, tea-cum talks, forums, and seminars for its members and interested persons. Besides being educational in nature, these activities also enable shippers to interact and thereby increase their awareness of their own problems and alternative solutions. They also help participants to upgrade themselves in reading the trends in the shipping industry, to keep in touch with the latest developments and to monitor freight rates locally and internationally.


Research

The Council also acts as a resource centre which carries out research on shipping developments useful to members.