Aids to Navigation Fund

On July 7, 2009, Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, pledged USD 2.5 millions to the "Aids to Navigation Fund" for the purpose of enhancing the safety, security and marine environment navigation and protection for Melaka and Singapore Straits. The Nippon Foundation, which is the largest private foundation in Japan, has been contributing to improving the safety of navigation in Melaka and Singapore straits for more than three decades.

The fundamental concept of the "Aids to Navigation Fund" is to encourage the "users-pay principle" in the Melaka and Singapore straits. Unlike air and land traffics, sea navigation is free of charge. For this reason, shipping business communities in the world have been free riders in sea. As a result, that behavior has created enormous burden to littoral countries in maintaining navigation safety.

After more than three and half decades of financial assistance for keeping safety of navigation in Melaka and Singapore straits, Mr. Yohei Sasakawa hopes that the inception of the "Aids to Navigation Fund" will become a model for international shipping business communities to adhering to the "users-pay principle" in sea navigations.