PH maritime agency increases service rates by at least 20%

0
372

domCharges for services rendered by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) have gone up by at least 20% effective Nov 2.

The rate hike, approved by the Marina Board on Sept 7, is being implemented through Marina Circular No. 2015-05. Covered by the increase are charges for administrative and general, domestic and overseas shipping, franchising, legal, enforcement, manpower development, maritime safety, and shipbuilding and ship repair services.

In a public consultation on April 27, Marina said the proposed revised schedule complied with Executive Order (EO) No. 197-2000, Administrative Order No. 31-2013, and Department of Finance-Department of Budget and Management Joint Circular Order No. 01-2013.

EO No. 197-2000 states that “all departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and units, including government-owned or controlled corporations, are hereby directed to review and upgrade their rates of fees and charges by not less than twenty percent (20%).”

The last rate increase by Marina was seven years ago. The agency earlier said it opted for a 20% hike after its study showed that rates would be much higher with a cost-based increase.

Under MC No. 2015-05, the application fee for vessel acquisition, bareboat charter/extension/renewal, importation, exercise of option to purchase, lease purchase, and lease-irrevocable-purchase (LIP) scheme for vessels is now P12,400 per vessel 10 years old and below from the previous P10,300. For vessels over 10 years of age, the application fee is P24,700 from the previous P20,590.

Accreditation fees for a corporation and partnership (covered by MC No. 186) are up from P9,200 to P11,000, and for single proprietorship from P6,350 to P7,600.

Accreditation fee (covered by MC No. 2006-003) is now P10,300 from P8,580 for corporations; P5,200 from P4,300 for cooperatives; P6,200 from P5,150 for partnerships; and P900 from P780 for single proprietorships.

As for fees for accrediting overseas shipping companies (covered by MC No. 186), charges are P12,400 from P10,350. Certification of all types of documents now cost P300 from the previous P250.

During the April consultation, Atty. Pedro Aguilar, Philippine Inter-Island Shipping Association (PISA) executive director, requested Marina to also increase fees for foreign-flagged vessels that apply for special permits to ply domestic routes where no domestic ships operate.

Aguilar said the domestic shipping industry is under scrutiny due to high rates which, he said, partly result from fees imposed by the government.

But under MC No. 2015-05, fees for the release of a special permit to allow a foreign-owned/registered vessel or Philippine-registered overseas vessel to temporarily operate in the domestic trade were still not increased. This is due to a pending proposal to include such fees in the revised MC No. 2011-04 rules on temporary utilization of foreign-registered ships within the national territory. – Roumina Pablo