Manila North Harbour Port, Inc’s. (MNHPI) proposal to include fees for a number of services, including garbage collection, in its tariff will be discussed at a public hearing on March 2 called by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
In a position paper dated November 22, 2017, MNHPI listed garbage collection fee as one of its proposed additional port service fees for inclusion in its tariff. MNHPI operates domestic terminal North Port at the Manila North Harbor.
MNHPI said its proposed garbage collection rates of P500 for the first 0.4 cubic meters and P450 in excess of 0.4 cubic meters are based on the tariff imposed by Golden Dragon International Terminals, Inc. for domestic garbage hauling. Golden Dragon provides services related to the collection and disposal of wastes, oil, and sewerage discharged by vessels calling at different Philippine ports.
The position paper noted that the collection of waste from vessels, offices as well as cargo-generated wastes as a result of stripping/stuffing or spillages “are over and above and are not part of the regular garbage generated as a result of normal arraste and stevedoring.”
In a letter dated October 15, 2015, MNHPI had already stated its position on the need to include rendered port services in the formal tariff of Manila North Harbor. It said these services are outside the regular cargo handling cycle and require the provision of additional area, equipment, manpower, and electricity, among others, thus incurring cost to MNHPI.
“The extra service and expense may require hustling of container, lift-off/dismounting of container, lift-on/dismounting of container, all resulting to additional actual expense to MNHPI, to name a few,” the port operator had said then.
MNHPI’s petition has been presented to a PPA technical working group, and underwent a series of consultative meetings with the Philippine Liner Shipping Association (PLSA), whose members mostly call at North Port.
The November 2017 position paper noted that in a May 31, 2017 meeting, PPA and PLSA “agreed on most of the tariff items stated on the position of MNHPI and that these services should be included in the North Harbor tariff.” Both parties also agreed to elevate the rates of these services to PPA for further deliberation, it added.
Aside from garbage collection, proposed services whose rates will be determined by PPA include reefer charges, amendment fee/administrative fees, hustling of containers, crane standby, lift-on/lift-off, shutout/re-voyage, non-standard lifts, handling of out-of-gauge containers, container examination, extra labor services, equipment rental/hire, re-stowing of containers, weighing fees, and definition of roll-on/roll-off (RoRo), chassis-RoRo, and Sto-Ro (a vessel with capacity for breakbulk cargo as well as vehicles or trailer-borne cargo) operations.
MNHPI reiterated to PPA that the proposed tariff items “are mere adaptation of the tariffs of Philippine Ports (e.g. Davao, Cebu, Batangas, Manila South Harbor, etc.)” and are covered by a formal tariff in other ports such as Manila International Container Terminal, Port of Batangas, and Davao-Sasa Port.
The March 2 public hearing will be at 9 a.m. at the PMO-NCR North Administration Building, Road 10, North Harbor. The hearing was announced by PPA Port Management Office-National Capital Region North port manager Rosenda Sumagaysay in a February 14 advisory on the PPA website. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
