Ro-ro
operations increase Batangas port volume by 17%
THE Philippine Ports
Authority (PPA) Port Management Office of Batangas
(PMO-Batangas) saw volumes rise 17% since roll-on/roll-off
(ro-ro) operations commenced middle of last year.
Port of Batangas manager Constante T. Fariñas,
Jr. said more shipping operators are showing interest
in investing in the route in view of the more viable
market condition.
PPA earlier reported
that the Batangas-Calapan route was one of the most
successful ro-ro routes along with the Roxas-Caticlan
link. Five shipping operators currently service the
Batangas-Calapan route, including Montenegro Shipping
Lines, Starlite Express, Ace Shipping Lines and Viva
Shipping Lines. The completed phase 1 project of the
20-hectare Batangas port features six ro-ro ramps.
It also has a domestic general cargo open storage
where ro-ro vehicles wait until their boarding time.
PPA-Batangas is expecting
the volume of both containerized shipments and general
cargoes to increase 12% this year, Fariñas
said, with the entry of more ro-ro operators. He said
the port management is continuously working to bring
down passenger and freight rates as well as ro-ro
charges while at the same time increase PPA revenues.
"We are also trying to emphasize the difference between
ro-ro and passenger because people tend to confuse
the rates for these particular services," Fariñas
pointed out.
In a related development,
Fariñas said the second phase of the Batangas
Port Development Project is already 34% complete.
"We are actually considering this more as nearly 50%
done because the foundation of the project is finished,"
he noted. Asian Terminals, Inc. (ATI) is interested
in submitting a bid for the operation of the second
phase of the port, expected to be completed in August
2005. Phase II will have a new international container
port designed to help decongest the already saturated
port of Manila and service the industrial zones within
the CALABARZON area.
ATI-Batangas, Inc. (formerly
Aries Arrastre Services, Inc.) Terminal manager Rafael
Cosme, in an interview, said ATI has the edge when
it comes to handling the new port since it has established
operations in Phase I of the port. Cosme said the
company is just waiting for PPA to come up with the
terms of reference for the operation of the new terminal.
"It would certainly be beneficial for the interested
bidders if the PPA will start working on the guidelines
already," he said.
He added it normally
takes 18 months for a port operator to complete preparations
to run a terminal. Phase II of the Batangas port was
originally set to be completed January this year but
was delayed due to, among others, the issue of relocation
of affected families in the area.
THE Association of International
Shipping Lines (AISL) last week denied reports that
its members will soon suspend the charging of the
container deposit fee.
PortCalls last week
attributed the report to Maritime Industry Authority
(MARINA) administrator Oscar Sevilla, who said that
the decision came out of an inter-agency meeting comprising
the Port Users Confederation (PUC), MARINA and some
AISL representatives. AISL general manager Julio C.
Garcia said, "There was no indication at all during
the said meeting that the AISL-monitored and non-monitored
lines would suspend the container deposit scheme."
The association clarified
that its equipment monitoring service is "not mandatory",
and that there are only 13 AISL-member lines which
have availed of the service. "To our understanding,
the PUC does not have any problem as far as the container
deposit scheme that the AISL implements for the 13
monitored lines, ie, the deposit is only required
if an importer has an outstanding detention charge.
Therefore, for accounts without unpaid detention,
no deposit is required," Garcia said. "The alleged
problem of mandatory deposit and cleaning fees being
brought up may be those implemented by some of the
other AISL members but not monitored by AISL.
The non-AISL monitored
lines may have their own container deposit scheme
rules," he added.
ATI
introduces new crane at Batangas port ASIAN Terminals
Inc.
(ATI) recently started
using its brand new P2-million crane at the Batangas
Port. The Gottwald HMK 280E mobile harbor crane allows
for fast track handling of containers from the vessel
to the yard.
"It combines the assets
of rail-bound harbor cranes with those of mobile cranes
while avoiding the drawbacks of conventional mobile
cranes," ATI said. Due to its longer reach, the crane
goes beyond the traditional ship-to-shore movement
of boxes at the terminal and can perform from 22 to
25 moves an hour. It has an automatic spreader for
container lifting capacity of 100 metric tons (MT)
at 11 meters and 28 MT at 50 meters under the hook.
"This equipment can operate anywhere in the entire
port area independent of any power resources. It can
be connected to an external power supply," the company
noted.
The mobile harbor crane
joins the fleet of container handling equipment at
the Batangas port, including 35-ton toploaders, spreaders,
Ottawa tractor heads/prime movers, stevedoring trailers
and a flatbed trailer. ATI-Batangas Inc., (formerly
Aries Arrastre Service Inc), is the sole cargo handling
contractor for the Batangas port.
THE Bureau of Customs
(BOC) recently amended the guidelines defining the
operation procedures of the Vehicle Importation Compliance
Monitoring Unit (VICMU) to further intensify supervision
of vehicle importation. The bureau said the move aims
to streamline procedures in the issuance of Certificates
of Payment and their transmittal to the Land Transportation
Office at the same time plug tax leaks.
Through the VICMU, the
BOC will obtain a databank on motor vehicle valuation
and help prepare importers and brokers of motor vehicles/component
parts for the Post Entry Audit (PEA) system. The PEA
allows the BOC to conduct a random audit on imported
goods up to three years from date of clearance to
ascertain the accuracy of taxes and duties paid by
importers. The VICMU will facilitate the development
of the database of values, including book value, of
all imported vehicles from which to source the inputs
for the Value Reference Information Systems. The establishment
of VICMU led to the abolition of the Warrant and Motor
Vehicle Unit, the agency previously monitoring vehicle
importation.
The BOC said it will
be coordinating with other government agencies to
ensure that only compliant vehicles under the Clean
Air Act, the Consumers Protection Act, the Seat Belt
Law and other related laws are released from Customs
zones. The VICMU is tasked to monitor closely the
entry, processing and release of imported motor vehicles,
engines and chassis and sale of motor vehicles to
non tax-exempt authority. The unit will also coordinate
with concerned government agencies to ensure that
imported vehicles have complied with the requirements
of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.
The VICMU may recommend the issuance of warrant/s
of seizure and detention against imported vehicles
when apprehended and assist in the prosecution of
seizure cases involving such.
The BOC also allowed
the monitoring unit to establish sub-units in ports/outports
in addition to existing ones, including for Metro
Manila, the VICMU main office for the port of Manila,
Manila International Container Port and Ninoy Aquino
International Airport; for Northern Luzon, VICMU Clark;
for Subic Free port, VICMU Subic; for Southern Luzon,
VICMU Port of Batangas; for Visayas, VICMU Port of
Cebu; and for Mindanao, VICMU Port of Davao.
ETSA
lines expand dialogue on terminal handling charges
THE Transpacific Stabilization
Agreement (TSA) said it has completed an extensive
internal review of its various terminal handling charges
(THCs), and will share its findings with shipper interests
and government agencies in Asia and the US that have
raised questions about the charges.
The Agreement has begun
the process of contacting Asian shippers' councils
in the countries where THCs are assessed, to schedule
presentations and subsequent discussions. Those meetings
will include a more detailed explanation of how THCs
are constructed and the specific cost components they
cover. TSA said it expects in time to meet with all
affected parties that have expressed an interest or
participated in previous THC discussions.
"We have listened to
shippers' requests for more transparency on how THCs
are constructed," said TSA Executive Director Albert
A. Pierce. "After considerable research, we feel we
can now provide a full and accurate view into the
make up of THCs for the eastbound transpacific trade
lane, and hopefully put to rest much of the confusion
surrounding this issue." TSA is a voluntary discussion
and research forum of 14 major container shipping
lines serving the trade from Asia to ports and inland
points in the US.
Members are APL, CMA-CGM,
COSCO, Evergreen Marine Corp., Hanjin Shipping , Hapag
Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, K Line, Maersk Sealand,
MOL, NYK Line, OOCL, P&O Nedlloyd, and Yangming Marine.
