The Office of the President has approved reduction in port charges and other vessel-handling fees at the Port of Batangas at the same time lowered port dues paid by International Container Terminals Services, Inc. (ICTSI) for a vessel it has chartered to remove overstaying cargoes in Manila.
The new rates took effect this August and will be applicable for only six months.
The reductions are intended to attract more direct callers and port users to Batangas Port, and encourage Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) operator ICTSI to do its share in de-clogging the Port of Manila, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said in a statement.
Direct callers to Batangas stand to enjoy for one year a 90% discount on port dues, from the existing fee of $0.081 per gross revenue ton per day to $0.008 per GRT per day. This is on top of a 90% cut in dockage-at-berth to $0.004 per GRT per day from $0.039 per GRT.
After six months, the discount on port dues will be reduced to 50%, from $0.081 GRT per day to $0.040 per GRT per day, while the discount on dockage-at-berth will be lowered from $0.039 per GRT to $0.020 per GRT per day.
“This is a big boost in our bid to increase utilization of the Batangas Port,” PPA general manager Juan Sta. Ana said in a statement.
“The new directive has likewise changed the basis (for) the computation of the dockage-at-berth from per GRT per calendar day or fraction thereof to per GRT per block of 24 hour or fraction thereof,” Sta. Ana added.
He also noted that there are now more vessel calls in Batangas.
At least six international carriers have been calling Batangas port since June — MCC Transport Corp., NYK Shipping Lines, SITC Container Lines, AP, Regional Container Lines/Pacific International Lines, and CMA CGM.
There are even reports that the port is also starting to suffer from congestion.
Lower port dues for chartered vessel
Meanwhile, port dues for a vessel chartered by ICTSI to ship overstaying cargoes from the Port of Manila to Subic have been slashed to $0.081 per GRT per call from $1 per call, while dockage-at-berth has been cut to $0.039 per vessel from $1 per GRT per calendar day or a fraction thereof.
PPA said the lowered rates aim to inspire ICTSI to shoulder the cost of moving out all overstaying cargoes at the Port of Manila.
ICTSI is chartering a 1,300-TEU vessel with a GRT of 18,321 tons for at least 14 days to ferry about 6,000 empty and overstaying containers from the Port of Manila to Subic port, which ICTSI subsidiary Subic Bay International Terminal Corp manages. – Roumina Pablo
