Singapore official endorses Panama Canal expansion

Singapore official endorses Panama Canal expansion Panama Canal Authorities said Monday that Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs George Yeo had visited the canal over the weekend and expressed his support for plans to expand and increase capacity through the canal.
   'The Panama Canal expansion is important not just for Panama but for the entire (maritime) industry; for the global economy,' Yeo said.
      The canal expansion project calls for the addition of a third lane and a new set of locks that would double the annual capacity through the canal. Voters will make a decision on whether or not to proceed with the project in a national referendum election October 22.
   Yeo said that as a leading maritime hub, Singapore believes that the more open the world is for the free movement of ships, the better it will be for Singapore.
   'We hope you widen the canal because it is good for the overall system,' Yeo said in remarks during a tour of the canal.