Adoption of Oil Pollution Compensation Act deferred
LOCAL tanker operators can breathe a sigh
of relief at least in the next four months after government
decided to put off implementation of Republic Act 9483 or
the Oil Pollution Compensation Act to next year.
The move will give operators more leeway to prepare for the
law and look for ways to cushion its impact on their businesses
specifically as oil prices remain volatile.
In an interview, newly installed Maritime Industry Authority
(Marina) administrator Ma. Elena Bautista told PortCalls discussions
on the act are being moved to next year instead of the original
plan of last quarter of 2008.
“We are not looking at implementing it (RA 9483) this
year and has shelved all our discussions on its implementation
this year,” Bautista, who is also concurrent undersecretary
at the Department of Transportation and Communications, explained.
Bautista heads the task force drafting the implementing guidelines
of the law.
“The continuing volatility of oil prices has somewhat
affected our moves to enforce it and we decided to wait until
oil prices stabilizes,” Bautista said.
“The earliest we can implement (the act) would be within
the first half of next year,” Bautista added.
RA 9483 seeks to implement the Civil Liability Convention
and the 1992 International Oil Pollution Fund (IOPF) Convention
and generate a fund that will be used on quick responses during
oil spill incidents.
The law requires tanker operators to contribute P0.10 for
every liter delivered to the oil pollution fund. It also obligates
oil firms to contribute to the IOPF once150,000 tons of oil
is delivered.
The Philippine Petroleum Sea Transport Association and the
Association of Tanker Operators in the Philippines have been
clamoring for the deferment and the eventual amendment of
certain provisions of the law.
In a joint position paper, the groups said they are not totally
against the law, just the manner of the levy collection.
The groups claimed their coverage with the London-based Protection
and Indemnity (P&I) Club is enough to cover liabilities.
A P&I member is assured of at least $1 billion during
oil spills aside the same amount available from the IOPF.
About 99% of tankers operating in the local trade are members
of the P&I Club and the IOPF.
“The 10-centavo contribution is also a pass-on cost
on our part. It is not us that will suffer but the end users...
they have to pay not only the high price of oil but eventually
transpor-tation and the cost of basic commodities,”
they added.
Before the temporary suspension of discussions, the task force
was deliberating on the timeline for levy collection and the
total amount of the seed money.
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ICTSI: Cargo handling rates will stay for now
INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Service,
Inc (ICTSI) will hold on to current cargo-handling rates despite
the continuing rise in labor, fuel and other expenses.
ICTSI is sticking the implementation of the two-tranche cargo-handling
rate increase approved by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)
earlier this year. The first 5% hike is now in effect while
the remaining 7% will be enforced next year.
ICTSI vice president for operations and general manager of
ICTSI’s flagship Manila International Container Terminal
(MICT) Christian Gonzalez said the company is not petitioning
for a new rate increase despite cost increases.
“At this point, our priority is our service level…
we are not considering filing a new increase… we will
(just) go through with the earlier approved hike,” Gonzalez
said.
“Our priority now is how our clients get value for their
money after we implemented a hike earlier this year,”
Gonzalez added.
“Still, the decision to hike rates will depend on how
things (progress), but as of now, (there will be) no rate
increase… we will make do with our existing rates,”
he stressed.
He said the better-than-expected cargo volume has somewhat
reduced the impact of rising costs and will insulate the business
even if costs continue to soar.
ICTSI has already handled more than 900,000 TEUs to date,
and is on track to surpass its year-ago level of 1.4 million
TEUs to 1.6 million TEUs this year.
The company is also sticking to revenue and volume projections
with positive performance from its flagship Manila International
Container Terminal (MICT) and its overseas units.
In the first six months of 2008, gross revenues from foreign
operations accounted for 54.9% of consolidated revenues compared
to 44.8% in the same period last year primarily due to new
foreign terminals added to the portfolio.
Consolidated volume for the period soared 42.3% to 913,718
TEUs, mainly due to new terminal operations contributing 165,649
TEUs and the 17.5% volume growth at MICT.
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BOC's collection efficiency up 3.2%
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) posted a 25.4%
increase in revenue collection for the first eight months
of year compared to the same figure a year earlier, according
to data from the Development Budget Coordinating Committee
(DBCC).
From January to August, the BOC has collected P167.841 billion
from last year’s P133.895 billion. The amount is also
higher by P5.172 billion against the P162 billion programmed
by the DBCC for the eight-month period.
BOC’s performance translates to a 3.2% efficiency against
its cumulative goal, higher by P33.946 billion from last year’s
level. The policy lifting the quantitative ban on rice imports
helped lift the bureau’s performance.
Its dismal performance last year and in the earlier months
of the year was due to the peso appreciation. The situation
is reversing with the strengthening dollar.
Non-cash collections gave a major boost to collection, overshooting
the target of P4.819 billion for the eight-month period by
409.5%, as Tax Expenditure Funds reached P24.551 billion.
This is the third time that the bureau overshot the cumulative
collection target.
In the first three months of the year, the BOC operated at
a deficit, with a P2.871-billion shortfall. But by April,
it overshot its goal by P8 million, and by May, by P62 million.
In June, BOC shook off the deficit, when a surge in rice imports
helped it collect a P3.415-billion surplus. In the following
month, it exceeded its goal of P22.991 billion by about P2.579
billion, posting P25.570 billion.
Meanwhile, Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said the
bureau recently apprehended several barges with diesel fuel
in Navotas and Malabon.
Customs operatives together with police and the military apprehended
the suspected smuggled fuel loaded in several lorries/tankers
parked inside the compound owned by O’relyn Trading
Corp in Caloocan City.
An undetermined quantity of fuel was also discovered in several
depots inside the compound of BSJ Fishing and Trading Inc
in Malabon City.
“(Our efforts are) in line with the orders of the President
to monitor all importations of fuel, stop smuggling of oil
and ensure that proper duties and taxes are collected,”
said Morales.
The bureau has hired SGS to conduct a survey of barges, vessels
and depots to determine the type, quantity and quality of
suspected smuggled fuels.
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COSCO's Takeko calls first to YRDICT
Yantai Rising Dragon International Container
Terminal Ltd (YRDICTL), a subsidiary of International Container
Terminal Services, Inc, recently serviced COSCO’s Takeko
during the latter’s maiden voyage to Yantai Rising Dragon
International Terminal (YRDICT) in Shandong province. Takeko
calls YRDICT weekly and joins Umeko in COSCO’s Yantai-Lianyungang-Tokyo-Yokohama
service. “The opening of this route offers great convenience
to Chinese and Japanese foreign trade enterprises,”
said Apollo Zhou, YRDICTL general manager.
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PISFA's 'President's Night' rounds up industry bigwigs
THE recent “Presidents’ Night”
organized by the Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders
Association (PISFA) saw a record attendance of PISFA Board
members, past and present, and top industry executives.
PISFA President Dexter Yu said the event fostered better camaraderie
and cemented ties of friendship built through the years.
In a speech at the gathering, Yu paid tribute to the captains
of industry present in the audience. “We salute you
for the enormous contributions you have made for our country’s
economy. You are the real heroes for you have persevered,
in good times or bad, to ensure that this industry will continue
to grow throughout the history of our country,” he said.
“All of you have taken on the huge responsibility of
staking your personal fortune and time and effort to contribute
to the lifeblood of our economy and it is through you that
our association finds meaning in its existence.”
PISFA celebrates its 25th year in 2009.
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