North Harbor truckers adopt PLSA rate hike plan until end July
NORTH Harbor truckers are deferring implementation
of the 8% recovery surcharge and the 10% automatic fuel rate
adjustment to August 1. Instead, they are adopting the Philippine
Liner Shipping Association (PLSA)-approved rate hike.
“We are accepting rates approved by PLSA but only for
this month,” the newly reconstituted Integrated North
Harbor Truckers Association (INHTA) explained. The association
is a merger of three groups — the the Integrated North
Harbor Truckers Association , Allied Transport Group and WG&A
Trucking.
Beginning yesterday, rates within the 40-km radius within
the National Capital Region (roundtrip) are now at P6,000,
P395 more than the previous P5,610 per 20-foot container.
“By August 1, and as announced as early as last month,
we will be implementing an additional P405 for every standard
20-foot container on top of the existing rate,” the
group said.
On August 1, truckers will also be adding a P284 recovery
surcharge for every 10-footer; P405 for a 20-footer; and P688.50
for a 40-footer or tandem scheme within the 40-kilometer radius
roundtrip service, equivalent to a P10.13 per kilometer increase.
All rates are exclusive of the expanded value-added tax (EVAT).
For provincial routes, a P10 recovery surcharge multiplied
by the distance using the PLSA matrix will be implemented.
Also by August 1, an automatic fuel rate adjustment of P196
will be added per delivery of every 10-footer container; P153.35
for a 20-footer; and P260.70 for a 40-footer or tandem scheme.
Total increases
Overall, shippers will have to shell out P480 for every 10-footer;
P685 for a 20-footer; and P1,164 for a 40-footer or tandem
scheme within the 40-km radius. All rates are exclusive of
the EVAT.
An additional P107.35, P153.35 and P260.70 for a 10-footer,
20-footer and 40-footer or tandem scheme, respectively, will
be added to the rate for every P5 increase in diesel price
from August 1.
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Jan-April cargo throughput dip 9%
THE Cagayan de Oro port has lost cargoes
to nearby Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT), in the process
dragging down cargo throughput in Philippine Ports Authority
(PPA)-controlled ports in the first four months of the year.
Latest PPA data showed January to April 2008 throughput declining
almost 9% to 45.90 million metric tons (mmt) from 50.35 mmt
for the same period last year (see table on page 10).
According to PPA, the decline is largely due to the non-inclusion
of cargoes handled by government agency Phividec Industrial
Estates. Phividec recently turned over operations of MCT to
a private operator — the Mindanao International Container
Terminal Services, Inc, a subsidiary of International Container
Terminal Services, Inc.
MCT’s cargo throughput used to be part of Cagayan de
Oro’s output.
The non-inclusion of cargoes from Phividec dragged foreign
and domestic cargo volumes by 11.76% and 5.57%, respectively.
Sluggish movement at the ports of South Harbor, Batangas,
Nasipit and Davao also contributed to a decline in domestic
cargoes.
At the port of Nasipit, shipments of flour, bottled cargoes,
refined petroleum, fruits/vegetable and crude palm oil dropped
along with shipments of general cargoes, coco products, fertilizer
and petroleum products in Davao.
In terms of foreign trade, export and import cargoes both
posted negative growth rates of 14.32% and 10.10%, respectively.
According to PPA, the sharp rise in foreign cargoes at the
Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), San Fernando,
Legazpi and Tacloban failed to counter the pull of lower volume
at the North Harbor, South Harbor, Batangas, Dumaguete, Ormoc,
Pulupandan, Tagbilaran, Nasipit, Surigao and General Santos.
The volume of imported wheat, crude mineral, mineral fuel,
iron and steel handled at Harbor Center Terminal also decreased
19.29%. In addition, a cut in foreign demand for nickel ores
contributed to lower export cargoes at the ports of Nasipit
and Surigao.
At the port of General Santos, exports of fish products, Dole
produce and coco oil accounted for a 24.37% drop in foreign
cargoes.
Higher container traffic
Container traffic, meanwhile, continued its uptrend increasing
4.82% for the four-month period despite the 3.10% dip in domestic
containerized cargo from 1.21 million TEUs to 1.26 million
TEUs.
Foreign containerized cargoes rose 10.58%.
The MICT and South Harbor handled 60.94% of the total domestic
container trade.
Contributing to the container throughput increase were more
imported raw materials at the MICT, a greater number of vans
loaded with export fruits, vegetables and lumber at Cagayan
de Oro, and sustained volume of second-hand garments in Davao.
For the first four months of the year, passenger traffic went
up 4.25% to 14.56 million passengers from 13.561 million in
the comparable period last year.
Domestic passengers accounted for 99.94% of the total passenger
volume for the period. Only the ports of Zamboanga received
foreign passengers, mostly traders coming from and going to
Sandakan, Malaysia.
Shipcalls also grew 4.24% for the period in review from 99,561
to 103,787. Domestic and foreign shipcalls increased 4.31%
and 2.21% respectively.
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No easing of penalties for non-compliant tankers
THE Department of Transportation and Communications
(DOTC) has denied the request of local tanker operators to
relax penalties for single-hull tankers in operation until
February 2009.
The department is standing by an earlier regulation allowing
single-hull tankers waiting for their replacement to continue
operating until February next year subject to a P25,000 fine
per day. The penalty applies regardless of whether the ship
is laden or empty.
The P5-million per vessel bond requirement is, however, being
relaxed, according to Maritime Industry Authority (Marina)
deputy administrator for Planning Atty. Gloria Victoria J.
Bañas.
“Operators could do away with the bond requirement as
long as they could get a guarantee from oil firms that they
will shoulder all expenses in cases of oil spills,”
Bañas said.
“Operators may also secure a surety bond from the Government
Service Insurance System if they find it difficult to source
the P5-million cash bond that will be held in escrow by the
Marina until all their ships are complaint,” she added.
“But if operators cannot not get any of the required,
they will have no choice but to produce the amount,”
Bañas said.
Marina is implementing the bond and penalty system on all
single-hull operators to ensure there are ample funds to finance
clean-up operations in cases of oil spills pending the implementation
of Oil Pollution Management Fund.
Tanker operators claim the system is too harsh.
The Philippine Petroleum Sea Transport Association and the
Association of Tanker Operators of the Philippines said the
penalty should only be imposed if the vessel is laden. Empty
tankers or barges pose no oil spill risk, they noted.
They claimed the penalty will make the industry uncompetitive,
as the amount already represents about 60% of the average
time charter rate.
Instead, the operators proposed a callable bond for P5 million
per company from the Pioneer Insurance & Surety Corp in
favor of Marina.
Marina has extended compliance to double-hull requirements
to February next year from April 30 to give operators time
to either acquire compliant vessels or convert existing ones.
The extension is only applicable to companies that can show
proof that compliance is forthcoming.
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Anti-smuggling bill on hold
THE Senate has temporarily shelved hearings
on the anti-smuggling bill pending ratification of the Revised
Kyoto Convention (RKC) by the Senate.
The move aims to reduce duplication of work since the bill
should be crafted in accordance with provisions of the RKC
and the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP),
which is also being reviewed.
The Bureau of Customs is expected to finish reviewing proposed
amendments to the TCCP by July 15.
Originally, the anti-smuggling bill should have been passed
before the end of the first regular session. The deadline
has been moved to yearend.
Pending before both Houses of Congress since 2005, the bill
seeks to impose stricter penalties against smuggling which
has rid the government of about P200 billion in revenues annually.
The proposed bill increases the penalty for outright and technical
smuggling from P10,000 to P2 million and imprisonment from
12 years to life. Fines will be based on the appraised value,
including duties and taxes, of the imported articles.
The proposed bill is not without its oppositors. One group
claims the measure will hamper cargo movement because it includes
reportorial requirements over which some sectors have no control.
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North Luzon expressway cuts toll fees by 10%
THE Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) yesterday
cut its fees at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) by 10% to
help ease the impact of the rising fuel cost on motorists.
The new toll schedule will be in force at the NLEX for and
two and a half years ending December 31, 2010. The next regular
rate review will be conducted in January 2011.
The approval by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) of the new
toll rate adjustment formula enabled MNTC to lower its rates
at the NLEX for vehicles traveling the entire stretch by as
much as P6 for Class 1 vehicles, P14.00 for Class 2 vehicles,
and P17.00 for Class 3 vehicles.
“This means that Class 1 vehicles like private cars
and light SUVs, traveling the entire 84-kilometer stretch,
will pay only P174 from the previous toll of P180,”
MNTC president Jose de Jesus said.
“On the other hand, Class 2 vehicles or buses will pay
only a total of P435 from the previous toll of P449 while
Class 3 vehicles or trucks will pay only P522 from the previous
toll of P539,” de Jesus added.
The toll rates at NLEX have gone down twice against the backdrop
of rising prices in prime commodities such as oil, rice and
other products used daily by Filipino households.
The first adjustment was implemented in January 2007 when
MNTC reduced its toll rates by 11%.
With TRB’s approval of the new formula, MNTC can now
facilitate the conversion of its remaining dollar loans into
pesos allowing the company to realize the full benefits of
a stronger peso under the favorable rate, which MNTC said
would be passed on to customers in the form of lower toll
fees.
MNTC had been in discussion with TRB as early as October last
year for a change in its toll rate adjustment formula to enable
the Lopez-led company to remove the dollar factor from its
existing toll formula and retire all its dollar loans with
peso-denominated notes which will result in the stability
of the toll rates.
Motorists, especially truckers, are not upbeat over the cut
in toll fees claiming it is intangible considering that prices
of oil continue to climb up.
The Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines
and the Integrated North Harbor Truckers Association said
a long-term plan should be put in place.
They propose the inclusion of the trucking industry in the
fuel discount program, a credit window to help refleet to
new units or convert engines to liquefied petroleum gas or
compressed natural gas.
Government recently allotted P500 million as refleeting subsidy
but truckers said the amount is little considering the huge
capital requirements involved.
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