Customs
approves higher rates for seven CBWs
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) recently
issued a new set of rates for service, storage and
other charges on commodities stored at seven Customs
Public Bonded Warehouses (CBW).
Under Customs Memorandum Order (CMO)
No. 3-2004, the higher rates take effect on May 21
for CBWs operated by Philippine Skylanders Inc., Philippine
Airlines, Paircargo, Delbros, Cargohaus (formerly
U-Warehouse), DHL Philippines and Miascor Logistics.
The bureau said the CMO is in line with its efforts
to standardize various charges for operations affecting
imported cargoes before actual delivery to importers
and consignees.
It was also prompted by higher costs
associated with the current economic situation, and
the additional equipment and facilities provided by
the operators. Starting Friday, the general cargo
storage rate will be P1.17 kilogram (kg) per day from
P0.88 kg per day.
The minimum charge will increase to
P67.51 from P50.63 per day. From P33.75 per day, exceptions
documents and diplomatic pouches will be charged P45
a day. For special cargoes - which include baggage
and personal effects, perishables and valuable cargoes
- the new minimum charge will be P134.50 per day from
P101 per day.
The BOC noted special cargoes are
those labeled in their airway bill (AWB) and cargo
manifests as shipments handled with special care and
provided special storage locations under specified
temperatures, pursuant to regulations of the International
Air Transport Association. Baggage and personal effects
will be charged P1.17 kg per day from P0.88 kg per
day.
Perishables, valuable cargo, dangerous
drugs and restricted articles, live animals, fowls,
plants and human remains, on the other hand, will
all be charged P2.35 kg per day from P1.76 kg per
day. Shipments whose weight per AWB is less than 100
kg will be charged P0.46 kg per day, up 35% from its
previous rate of P0.34 kg per day.
For shipments weighing 100 kg or more,
the new daily rate is P0.68 kg. New ancillary charges
for backdoor release are: P3.75 kg from P2.81 kg (standard
rate); P224.50 per AWB from P168.50 per AWB (minimum
charge); and P375 per AWB from P281.25 per AWB (maximum
charge).
The new fixed rate for deconsolidation
fee is P189 per house AWB from P141.75 per HAWB. The
rate for returned shipment fee, on the other hand,
increased to P37.51 per kg from P28.13 per kg.
New minimum and maximum charges are
P225 and P375 per kg, respectively.
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Lorenzo
Shipping income up 195% in 2003
LORENZO Shipping Corp. (LSC) reported
a 195% increase in net income last year to P38 million
from P12.9 million posted a year earlier.
The growth came despite a decrease
of 1% or about P12 million in freight revenue mainly
due to longer drydocking that cut the number of vessel
trips by eight voyages. For the first quarter of the
year, LSC registered better-than-projected revenues
and cargo volume of 3% and 1%, respectively.
The company said the fewer shipcalls
dragged its 2003 cargo traffic by 6%. There was also
a decline in the shipment of foreign containers due
to more foreign shipping lines calling direct at the
ports as well as an increase in their vessel capacity.
The revenue drop was, however, offset
by a 5% increase in freight rates during the year,
improved cargo mix, and the reduction in total operating
expenses by P32.7 million or 3.4% following cost-cutting
measures. Savings were also generated from the adoption
of internal control systems and procedures, and the
P12.9 million or 4.9% cut in interest and financing
charges due to loan repayments.
Direct costs, including direct operating
expenses and terminal expenses, saw a 3.3% reduction
to P816.3 million from P825.3 million. The termination
of a charter hire agreement as a consequence of the
company's acquisition of Lorcon Davao by the end of
2003 also saved the company P44 million.
In addition, expenses were clipped
as a result of stricter implementation of purchasing
policies and procedures, including cost savings for
materials, supplies, spare parts and repairs, P14.9
million; reduction in depreciation due to lesser capitalized
expenditures this year, P10 million; and reduction
for provision in inventory losses, P6.2 million.
Meanwhile, increases in oil prices
boosted fuel cost to P30 million. Higher maritime
insurance rates arising from the peso devaluation
and the threat of terrorism also pushed vessel insurance
cost to P7 million.
Drydocking expenses reached P19.4
million due to the inclusion of amortized drydocking
of four freighters in 2003.
The company is expected to launch
its website this month, the major features of which
are its online booking systems and cargo tracking.
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ICTSI
worldwide terminals ready for new ISPS Code
MOST of the terminals operated worldwide
by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.
(ICTSI) are already compliant with the International
Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), an International
Maritime Organization (IMO) initiative, set to take
effect July 1 this year.
To date, two of ICTSI's terminals
are already ISPS compliant: the Manila International
Container Terminal (MICT), ICTSI's flagship operation
in the Philippines, and the Suape Container Terminal
(SCT) in northeastern Brazil. Both MICT and SCT were
the first ports to be ISPS compliant in their respective
countries.
Conportos, the government agency
in charge of security in marine terminals in Brazil,
is using Tecon Suape S.A.'s (TSSA) security installations
at the SCT as benchmarks in certifying other terminals
in Brazil. TSSA is ICTSI's Brazilian unit operating
the SCT.
Two other terminals have already submitted
port security plans to their respective government
units: the Bauan Terminal to the Philippine Ports
Authority (PPA) and the Baltic Container Terminal
(BCT) to the Gdynia Maritime Office. At the BCT, Edward
Bratnikow and Jan Gawel were appointed as Port Facility
Security Officer and Deputy Port Facility Security
Officer, respectively.
In Subic Bay Freeport in the Philippines,
Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC), ICTSI
cargo handler at the NSD Terminal, is cooperating
with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA),
who takes the lead in the compliance activities in
the Freeport. SBMA is set to submit its security plan
to the Philippine Department of Transportation and
Communications.
At the Makar Wharf in southern Philippines,
ongoing activities for certifications for ISO 9001/2000
and ISO 18001 OHSAS are being done side-by-side with
ISPS compliance preparations by South Cotabato Integrated
Port Services, Inc. (SCIPSI), ICTSI cargo handler
affiliate. "We're looking at a totally new regime
of strict security enforcement in the global maritime
industry with the implementation of the ISPS Code
by 1 July.
The new code will not only impact
the sea transport industry but the foreign relations
and global trading of countries," says Edgardo Q.
Abesamis, ICTSI executive vice president. "We don't
want the cargo we are handling to be detained or delayed
due to non-compliance.
We are also cooperating with the
shipping lines to effectively implement the ISPS,
while retaining the efficient and speedy handling
of cargo," he adds.
Meanwhile, ICTSI is already preparing
all its terminals to comply with the United States'
Container Security Initiative. As
a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks in
the United States in 2001 and the increased risk of
terrorist attacks worldwide, the United States unilaterally
adopted security measures for ships, their crew, passengers
and cargoes entering US ports.
The US security initiative adopted
measures, which are stricter than the ISPS Code.
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Caticlan
port to accommodate bigger ships
THE port of Caticlan will soon be
able to accommodate bigger vessels after dredging
and the completion of a new roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro)
ramp and extension pier.
Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)
assistant general manager for Engineering Medardo
Melicor said the port's berthing area is being dredged
to six meters so it can accommodate big ships. "This
new development will benefit tourists who frequent
the island of Boracay and also the business people
who want their goods distributed in the area," he
noted.
He said PPA is expecting the P59-million
project to be completed by mid-2005. The port agency
started constructing the additional ro-ro ramp last
month.
The new facility will aid in the reception
of big ships carrying around 35-40 rolling cargoes.
"The existing port jetty is only temporary and was
designed to service only small ships like the wooden-hulled
fast craft ferries transporting tourists from the
port of Caticlan to Boracay Island," he said.
The port jetty was developed and
operated by the local government of Aklan.
The nine-by-135 meter ro-ro ramp
will have a 2,340 square meter back-up area that can
stack up to 800 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU)
or 1,600 TEUs when arranged two-high.
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