MARINA
trust fund to provide bigger budget for shipping
sector
THE local shipping industry
will no longer have to beg for a larger chunk
of the country's budget allotment with the creation
of a trust fund effected through the implementation
of Republic Act No. 9295 or the Domestic Shipping
Development Act of 2004.
The Maritime Industry Authority
(MARINA) has established its own trust fund to
organize its budget management and finance all
expenses relating to the operations of the agency.
"The fund shall be used to cover
operating expenses for plans, programs, projects
and activities of the MARINA relative to the implementation/performance
of its functions of licensing, supervision, regulation,
inspection, approval and accreditation of domestic
ship operators and promotion and development of
the country's maritime industry," it said.
The fund will be sourced from
fees collected from licensing, supervision, regulation,
inspection, approval and accreditation of domestic
shipping operators. The regulator said other sources
include "collections resulting from the promotion
and development of the country's maritime industry
and collections that may be subsequently be prescribed
by the MARINA Board for the rendition of service."
A source from MARINA said a large bulk of the
trust fund will come from the supervision fees,
whose payment [for the period covering 2003] will
lapse by end of the year.
MARINA said the collection of
fees and charges and other funding sources will
be separately recorded and directly deposited
in the trust fund account in an authorized government
depository bank.
"The interest income therefrom shall also accrue
and be directly credited to the fund," it added.
The maritime agency said the fund will be considered
"self-perpetuating" and self-liquidating. All
expenditures incurred in relation to the operations
and services will be charged against it.
Those who wish to avail of the fund may only do
so if they transact with authorized government
depository banks. And to ensure faster release
of funds, no clearance or approval from other
government agency will be required, MARINA said.
The maritime agency also created the MARINA Trust
Fund Management Committee to ensure proper administration
of the fund. The committee is composed of representatives
from MARINA, Philippine Interisland Shipping Association,
Philippine Shippers Bureau and the Commission
on Audit.
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PPA opens bidding
for Ozamis port project
THE Philippine Ports Authority
(PPA) recently opened the bidding for the port
improvement project at the port of Ozamis in Mindanao.
The port agency has already invited bidders and
interested contractors to submit their application
for eligibility to start the project immediately.
Deadline for submission is January 3, 2004.
The P83.724-million port project includes reclamation,
extension of reinforced concrete (RC) wharf and
supply/installation of mooring and fendering system.
PPA said it is expecting to complete the project
within a year. The port of Ozamis is an RC general
purpose pier, which caters to both foreign and
domestic vessels. Domestic cargoes are mostly
rice, corn, fish products, prawns, live animals,
copra, coco lumber, animal feeds, consumer goods
and general cargoes.
Its berthing facilities include two piers, an
RC wharf measuring 135 meters by 18 meters and
a roll-on/roll-off ramp. Last year, cargo throughput
at the port of Ozamis went down 7.49% to 2.74
million metric tons (MT) from 2.96 million MT
in 2002.
The port of Ozamis is one of the fastest growing
port in the country, with an annual cargo volume
of about 570,000 metric ton. About 2.5 million
passengers use the port annually, making it one
of the busiest ports in terms of passenger traffic
in the country.
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PPA-Calapan operations slow
down in third quarter
Activities at the port of Calapan
slowed down during the third quarter of the year
as the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Port Management
Office (PMO) in the area posted a decline in port
operation figures during the period. Latest data
from the port agency showed total cargo throughput
dropping 3% from July to September to 172,438
metric tons (MT) from 178,415 MT during the second
quarter.
This was, however, an 18% improvement compared
with cargo throughput in the first three months
of the year, which was only 146,115 MT. During
the third quarter, cargoes bound for Calapan dropped
2% to 91,234 MT compared with 92,731 MT handled
during the previous quarter. Outgoing cargoes
also fell 5% to 81,204 MT from 85,684 MT.
The PPA-PMO office said the decline was brought
about by the thinning ship traffic in the area.
From July to August, the agency recorded a 10%
decline in total shipcalls to 3,075 from 3,398.
The drop in shipcalls further resulted in lower
passenger traffic, the port agency explained.
Travelers passing through the port of Calapan
went down 31% to 478,876 from 691,520. Disembarking
passengers totaled 251,404, while embarking, 227,472.
The port of Calapan, which is part of the Port
District Office of South Luzon, also reported
a decline in volumes at the neighboring Roxas
port. Total cargo throughput went down 22% to
24,367 MT from 31,261 MT in the second quarter.
Inward and outward shipments both fell 23% and
22%, respectively.
The ports of Calapan and Roxas form part of the
Western Seaboard link of the Strong Republic Nautical
Highway, connecting Luzon to the rest of Visayas
and Mindanao.
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Archives
| 2004 Q1 : October
| Novemeber
| December
December
1
| December
6 | December
8
| December
13 | December
15 |
December 20
| December
22 | December
27 | December
29
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|
