Singapore is preparing the most significant update to its port legislation in nearly three decades. A new MPA Amendment Bill would give the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore dedicated powers over maritime cybersecurity, along with fresh authority to regulate drones, autonomous vessels and artificial intelligence. 

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill was tabled for First Reading in Parliament this week. It seeks to amend the MPA Act, which was enacted in 1996 and has remained largely unchanged since.  

According to the MPA Amendment Bill, maritime operations have shifted considerably over that period, driven by greater digitalization, the arrival of technologies such as remote operations and autonomous vessels, and port operations that have grown increasingly complex. 

Parliament is scheduled to debate the Bill at its Second Reading in November 2026. 

A Sector-Specific Cyber Regime Alongside the Cybersecurity Act 2018 

The headline change is the creation of a sectoral cybersecurity framework within the MPA Act. Under the Amendment Bill, MPA would be able to designate Important Information Infrastructure (III), impose cybersecurity requirements, and issue directions to protect systems and infrastructure across the maritime ecosystem. 

MPA said the framework is designed to complement the Cybersecurity Act 2018 rather than replace it, improving the sector’s readiness for and response to cybersecurity risks and incidents. The authorities noted that as the maritime ecosystem becomes more digitalized and interconnected, protecting the systems that underpin these operations has become increasingly important. 

MPA Amendment Bill Extends Oversight to Emerging Technologies 

The Bill also revises definitions and provisions in the MPA Act to account for autonomous surface vessels, aerial drones and artificial intelligence. These tools are increasingly being used in maritime operations and have the potential to improve safety and efficiency.  

The changes would give MPA a legal basis to regulate their safe use, allowing its rules to keep pace as maritime technologies and operating models evolve. 

A Unified Licensing Framework for Maritime Services 

At present, the MPA Act contains several separate frameworks for licensing and regulating the maritime services that support the Port of Singapore. The Amendment Bill would replace these with a single, comprehensive licensing framework.  

It would spell out the factors MPA weighs when assessing license applications and allow the authority to issue directions on the efficiency, safety, reliability, environmental sustainability or quality of regulated services. 

The proposed changes would also help MPA better support the provision and maintenance of essential port infrastructure, with the aim of ensuring licensees meet the standards required for safe and reliable port operations. 

Faster Action on Stranded and Abandoned Vessels 

Stranded or abandoned vessels, wrecks and other objects in Singapore’s waters can endanger navigational safety, the marine environment and port operations. The Bill would expand the circumstances in which MPA can either require their removal or carry it out itself, allowing the authority to act more promptly. 

The MPA Amendment Bill would further bolster its ability to obtain and verify information, conduct inspections where necessary, and act against false information or documents, as well as against failures to provide required information or documents.  

MPA said effective regulation of maritime activities depends on access to accurate and timely information and the ability to investigate potential contraventions. 

Taken together, the amendments aim to reflect how the sector has changed since 1996, guard against emerging risks and enable MPA to intervene effectively to keep the Port of Singapore running safely, reliably and efficiently.

Working in tandem with the Cybersecurity Act 2018, the new cyber provisions mark a more targeted approach to protecting the systems behind Singapore’s port. MPA has also released a media factsheet outlining the Bill ahead of the November debate.