The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has once again extended the 50% discount on processing fees for ecozone import and export shipments that go through the Batangas International Port (BIP), a move intended to continue encouraging the use of the Southern Luzon port.
The incentive, which has been renewed yearly since 2010, will now continue until revoked, as approved under PEZA Board Resolution No. 17-010 dated January 10.
In Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2017-003 dated January 13 and signed by PEZA director general Charito Plaza, the 50% reduction covers all PEZA processing fees for ecozone import/export full container load shipments to be discharged or loaded at BIP.
The circular said the incentive is “part of our commitment and continuing advocacy to facilitate the immediate and full utilization” of the Southern Luzon hub.
“We enjoin all our valued ecozone locators to make an extra effort to promote and maximize the use of the BIP by nominating in the Bill of Lading the discharge and/or loading of their containerized cargoes via the said port,” MC 2017-003 said.
“As key drivers of seaborne trade, the ecozone locators can do so much to help balance the port container traffic distribution by shifting their import/export shipments to the BIP.”
According to BIP operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI), the terminal has steadily achieved higher volumes, handling 85,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of international shipments for the first seven months of 2016, or 49% higher than the 81,000 TEUs recorded in the same period last year.
READ: Batangas terminal throughput shoots up 4.9% in Jan-Jul
ATI attributed the terminal’s volume growth to its expanding list of customers in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), such as electronics giants from Japan, food and beverage conglomerates, retailers, agri exporters, and leading car manufacturers.
The January-July volume also brings the terminal closer to attaining another record year after handling over 130,000 TEUs in 2015, ATI said. – Roumina Pablo
