Legal

With nearly $180 million of debt, IPP proposes interim juridical management

IPP’s business and operations were ‘severely impacted’ by MPA’s temporary suspension of bunker craft operator licence, claimed company director.

Published

7 years ago

August 27, 2019

Admin

UPDATE: A spokesperson from Kairos Oil Trading has clarified with Manifold Times the company does not have any accounts receivables with IPP.

Singapore bunker supplier Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd (IPP) and its parent company Inter-Pacific Group Pte Ltd (IPG) on Friday (16 August) filed an application for interim judicial management at the High Court of the Republic of Singapore.

An affidavit filed by Zoe Cheung, the current director of IPP and IPG, on Tuesday (20 August) provided more details of developments leading up to the company’s decision to come under interim judicial management.

It noted that IPG originally had two shareholders, namely Zoe Cheung (85%) and Dr Goh Jin Hian (15%); Dr Goh was a director of IPG and IPP until 20 August 2019 when his resignation took effect. An individual of Pek Chong Beng is the current nominee local director in IPG and IPP, in place of Dr Goh.

The document alleged that IPP posted total accounts receivables of USD 21.07 million from 21 trading counterparties to date; notably, the majority at USD 14.73 million, or 69.9%, of the total figure was from Minerva Bunkering Pte Ltd.

Inter-company receivables of USD 248.36 million from five related firms of Chuang Xin (China) Group Limited, Inter-Pacific Group Pte Ltd, Inter-Pacific Petroleum Trading Pte Ltd, Pacific Energy 8 Pte Ltd and Pacific Ship Management Pte Ltd were declared.

Chuang Xin (China) Group Limited, currently insolvent, undertook USD 237.36 million, or 95%, of the total inter-company receivables.

Significant and verifiable liabilities totalling USD 181.63 million consisted of trade financing from SocGen with an outstanding amount of USD 96.3 million, MayBank banking facilities of USD 69.8 million, and account payables of USD 2.43 million to 10 players; ~~the highest outstanding amount stands at around USD 1.16 million, or 48%, which is owed to Kairos Oil Trading Pte Ltd.~~

The purported affidavit highlighted IPP, “has been struggling to put its books and accounts into good order. However, as the business was still able to maintain its cashflow to meet its mature liabilities, the company was able to continue its trading flow.”

“However, on 14 June 2019, the Maritime Port Authority (MPA) issued a Port Marine Circular No. 14 of 2019 stating that arising (sic) from an enforcement check on a bunker tanker operated by IPP, the MPA had temporarily suspended IPP’s bunker craft operator license with effect from 27 June 2019 until further notice.

“The reason for the suspension is related to an incident involving an outsourced employee, and IPP is presently investigating the incident and cooperating with MPA in this regard to provide further information as relevant. However, the immediate effect of the suspension was to prevent IPP from operating as a bunker craft operator in Singapore.

“As a result of the suspension of the license, IPP’s business and operations were severely impacted.”

IPP noted the development caused the firm to incur “very significant expense and effort”, together with disruption to its business, as it had to arrange for other operators to take on contracts due to the license suspension.

The suspension also “significantly impacted counterparties’ confidence” in IPP as players which previously offered credit started asking for cash terms, “such that there is insufficient cash to sustain operations.”

Moving forward, the directors of IPG and IPP said they have received a letter from a confidential investor which is a publicly-listed company in Hong Kong who may, amongst other options, take on short term six-month charters of IPG’s vessels to allow for cash generation while providing other solutions pending the outcome of IPP’s licensing issues at Singapore.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 27 August, 2019

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidators of East Marine Pte Ltd issues notice of annual meeting

Annual meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 20 August at 11am.

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Admin

A notice of annual meeting was issued by liquidators of East Marine Pte Ltd, which is in creditor’s voluntary liquidation, on the Government Gazette on Friday (7 August).

According to the notice, the annual meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 20 August at 11am.

The purpose of the meeting is to have an account laid before the meeting showing the acts and dealings of the liquidators and the conduct of the winding up in the preceding year.

The following are the details of the liquidators:

Ng Kian Kiat
Yap Hui Li
Liquidators
c/o 8 Wilkie Road
#03-08 Wilkie Edge
Singapore 228095

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 12 August, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Annual and final meetings to be held for Asia-Pacific Shipyard Pte Ltd

Annual meeting and the final meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 9 September.

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Admin

A notice of annual meeting and final meeting was issued by liquidators of Asia-Pacific Shipyard Pte Ltd, which is in creditor’s voluntary liquidation, on the Government Gazette on Friday (7 August).

According to the notice, the annual meeting and the final meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 9 September.

The annual meeting will be held at 2pm while the final meeting will be held at 3pm.

The purpose of the meeting is to have an account laid before the meeting showing the acts and dealings of the liquidators and the conduct of the winding up in the preceding year and the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and the property of the company has been disposed of and hearing any explanation that may be given by the liquidators.

The following are the details of the liquidators:

Ng Kian Kiat
Yap Hui Li
Liquidators
c/o 8 Wilkie Road
#03-08 Wilkie Edge
Singapore 228095

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 12 August, 2026

Sanctions

Reed Smith relocates sanctions partner Alex Brandt from London to Singapore

Brandt’s relocation to the city-state is a direct response to increased client demand for sanctions advice in Asia, says law firm.

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Admin

Reed Smith relocates sanctions partner Alex Brandt from London to Singapore

Global law firm Reed Smith on Tuesday (11 August) announced the relocation of global shipping and sanctions partner Alex Brandt from London to Singapore.

Brandt advises insurers, owners, charterers, brokers, and traders on all aspects of sanctions-related challenges, providing analysis of applicable legislation, assistance with due diligence work, and training.

He has extensive experience of U.S. and UK government investigations, disclosures, and enforcement actions and has been centrally involved in many of the most high-profile designations, seizures, and enforcement actions brought against members of the international shipping community.

Brandt also has wide-ranging experience drafting protective language for transportation, trade and financing contracts, and has worked with major lenders and other organisations to develop best-in-class compliance programmes. He also has sat on a number of BIMCO and other organisations’ drafting committees, assisting in the development of industry standard clauses.

In addition to his role in the global sanctions practice, Brandt routinely advises on contractual and tortious rights and obligations pertaining to a wide range of dry shipping matters, including charterparties, P&I club rules, bills of lading, ship sales and purchases, and shipbuilding.

Brandt has previously spent four years in Reed Smith’s Hong Kong office, where in addition to his dry shipping work, he assisted in a number of casualty investigations and criminal prosecutions arising from major casualties.

Praj Samant, Reed Smith’s Asia-Pacific managing partner, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Alex to the Singapore office, and back to Asia. He is a tremendous talent with a global perspective and commercial outlook, which is an invaluable asset to clients both in the region and beyond.”

Richard Hakes, global chair of Reed Smith’s Transportation Industry Group, said: “Our transportation practice’s commitment to Asia and to our clients based in the region is longstanding and Alex’s relocation is a direct response to the needs of our clients. We have a leading and growing shipping practice across Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore – with a number of new arrivals in the last year. Alex will be joining that team at an exciting time for us, and at a time where there is high regional demand for his complex sanctions advice.”

Brandt added: “I am delighted to be making the move to a region I am very familiar with already. It is clear that our global clients require increased support in the region, and I look forward to working with the regional team here, as well as continuing to collaborate with our market-leading sanctions team globally.”

Photo credit: Reed Smith
Published: 12 August, 2026