The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has approved Manila North Harbour Port, Inc.’s (MNHPI) petition to include fees for additional services in North Port’s official tariff.
Under Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 24-2018 dated November 19, PPA approved the new tariff for Manila’s domestic terminal pursuant to PPA Board Resolution No. 2753.
MC 24-2018 was published on November 24 and will take effect on December 24.
To be included in the official tariff are fees for hustling, lift-on/lift-off, administrative fee, non-standard lifts, crane standby, extra labor services, equipment rental, re-stowing of containers, weighing fees, lifting and closing of hatch covers, handling of gearbox, dangerous cargo area fee, and collection of garbage fee.
North Port operator MNHPI on November 22, 2017 petitioned PPA to include additional port services and their corresponding fees in the formal tariff. The port operator first filed the petition in 2012, and it was discussed until 2014 in PPA-directed consultative meetings with shipping lines. In 2015, MNHPI again submitted a position paper; in 2017, an updated position paper containing the updated fees was filed.
MNHPI senior vice president for corporate affairs Atty. Mark Vincent Escalona, during the hearing on the proposal last February, noted the additional services are not part of regular services, but only rendered as requested by port users, which include shippers, consignees, and shipping lines.
Escalona pointed out the proposed services are already part of the formal tariff of other ports.
MNHPI said these services are outside of the regular cargo handling cycle and require providing for an additional area, equipment, manpower, and electricity, among others, “thereby 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 said. – Roumina Pablo
