Regional
ports surpass customs collection targets
FOUR of the country's regional ports
topped the list of commercial gateways that posted the
highest customs collection for the past year while Manila's
domestic and international ports fell short of their
respective collection targets. The Bureau of Customs
(BoC) reported that the Port of Batangas ranked first
with a P1.041 million surplus, mostly coming from duties
on imported oil and motor vehicle. The port earlier
targeted P21.9 billion but exceeded this with a P22.9
billion haul. Cagayan de Oro's port placed second with
a P820 million surplus, exceeding by P2.4 billion its
P1.6-billion target. Third is the Port of San Fernando
in the province of La Union which posted a P101-million
surplus with a total collection of P763 million against
its P662 million target. The Port of Tacloban followed
with a P51 million surplus. Two more ports in the southern
Mindanao region belonged to the top list, including
the Port of Davao that registered a P21 million excess
collection and the Port of Surigao with P8 million.
More busy ports, on the other hand, fell short of their
target, the BOC said. The Manila International Container
Port (MICP) dipped according to agency's records, with
a P7.8 billion fall in collection. The MICP collected
only P42.3 billion against its P50.1-billion target.
The Port of Manila also experienced a shortfall of P2.99
billion. It collected P47.8 billion against its projected
P50.75 billion. Ninoy Aquino International Airport fell
P2.77 billion from its target, collecting only P12.8
billion. In all, BOC said six of the 15 top ports surpassed
their respective collection targets, adding that the
rest of the ports fell short of their target. It expects
the P9.6-billion shortfall to be covered by tax expenditure
funds.
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Import shipment charges
must be regulated, according to forwarders' group
THE Alliance of Concerned Freight Forwarders,
Inc. (ACFFO) is asking the national government to regulate
charges levied on shippers, particularly charges for
import shipments. "The government should regulate
import-related charges being shouldered by importers
rendering prices of imported goods high. Eventually,
this additional cost will be passed on to end users,"
ACFFO acting chair and SpeedTrans International Inc.
president Editha Mu–oz told PortCalls. She said
ACFFO members, all wholly owned Filipino companies,
are hurting since these charges, like those levied for
LCL cargoes, are too high. "Warehousing charges
are too high. The government should control these charges
and peg it to a more realistic level in order to spur
more cargo activity and attract more foreign investors,"
Mu–oz explained. She stressed that the high cost
of doing business in the country has dampened foreign
investor interest in the country. Last year, ACFFO said
imports were down 20% due to soaring charges aggravated
by the still-volatile economy of the country. This year,
ACFFO is anticipating an increase in import volume but
projects better activity in the export business. It
sees a 20% to 30% increase in export volume shipments
on the back of the country's handicraft business.
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SBMA opens
cruise passenger terminal
THE Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
(SBMA) recently opened the Global Passenger Terminal,
the first passenger ship terminal in the country, to
accommodate international cruise ships traveling around
the Asia-Pacific region. "This new manifestation
of our march towards the fulfillment of the objectives
of the SBMA is a remarkable achievement. This is our
continued commitment to make Subic a maritime ingredient
in world commerce," SBMA chair Feliciano Salonga
said. Global Terminal and Development, Inc. (GTDI) has
infused more than P160 million to transform the 18-hectare
former military port facility into a one-stop cruise
ship facility complemented with passenger and tourist
parks, a warehouse, a grain storage facility and ship
repair yard. "This passenger terminal is certainly
long overdue. As early as 1993, when we first converted
Subic from a military installation, we really saw the
need of establishing a world-class passenger terminal,"
SBMA administrator Armand Arreza added. He said what
SBMA really wants to see is for the Ship Repair Facility
to become a world-class maritime facility catering to
international passengers and cruise ships. "Investments
like this signify the intent of the private sector to
develop Subic into a world-class tourism establishment."
The cruise terminal is part of the SBMA Port Development
Plan, which aims to develop the full-range of passenger
and cargo handling capability of Subic Bay Freeport
and make it more competitive as a regional trade hub
in Asia.
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