SINGAPORE - The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will host the 19th meeting of the Aids to Navigation Fund (ANF) Committee from Sept 14 to 15 2017.

The ANF was established in 2007 as part of the Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. It provides funds for the provision and maintenance of critical aids to navigation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

These aids are vital for safe navigation in the two straits, which are among the most important shipping lanes in the world.

Since its inception, the fund has received contributions of over US$22 million (S$29.7 million).

Contributors include China, India, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the International Maritime Organization, among other agencies.

Singapore has chaired the ANF Committee since 2013 and will be handing over the chairmanship to Malaysia in 2018. The chairmanship of the ANF committee is rotated between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Current chairman of the ANF Committee, Captain M Segar, Assistant Chief Executive (Operations), MPA said: "Singapore is honoured to have chaired the ANF committee for the past five years. We are confident that the committee will continue to advance its important work under Malaysia's chairmanship. Singapore remains committed to working closely with our stakeholders, to promote safe navigation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore through the ANF."