WATERFRONT stakeholders are appealing to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., for help in lowering the logistical cost of bringing out imported goods from the waterfront by addressing what they termed as “unregulated” charges being imposed by foreign shipping lines on all goods imported into the country.
In an “open letter” to PBBM last Wednesday, February 8, 2023, the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) and the Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. (CCBI) thru Maria Zapata and Adones Carmona, respectively, were joined by 15 other associations representing the various stakeholders at the country’s waterfront in denouncing the questionable charges being imposed by foreign shippers represented in the country by the Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL).
“It is of great concern that international shipping lines reigns supreme in our own territorial jurisdiction, beyond regulations of any government authorities,” the group informed PBBM.
“Mr. President, we literally passed through the proverbial eye of the needle in our crusade and fight to stop the imposition of the unregulated charges of international shipping lines,” they added.
In their petition, the group listed 10 specific charges that foreign shippers have been charging on cargoes bound for the Philippines, with the amount ranging from a low P7,129.97 per container to as high as P56,083.50 (see image).
On top of them, the group also bewailed the introduction of a ‘Container Ledger Account’ (CLA), which, they claimed, is yet another form of “deposit.”
“The problem with the CLA is that no one regulates it,” they pointed out. The deposit stays with the CLA up until its released by the shipping line. There is no mechanism in place to contest fees charged against the deposit that is with the CLA. Basically, importers are at the mercy of shipping lines,” they pointed out.
Of their many headaches, the group called on Malacañang to immediately tell the AISL to stop their collection of container (handling) deposit that is being deducted “unilaterally without giving consignee an opportunity to contest deductions, especially the delay on the return of empty containers as the shipping lines have no container yard where truckers can unload the containers.
Even if a shipping line has its own yard but cannot accommodate returning empty containers because it is already full, the shipping line continue to impose ‘detention charges’ as penalty for ‘late return’ of its own container.
“Worse, (container) deposit is returned by shipping lines not earlier than 3 months (after payment) resulting to millions of pesos accumulating at the hands of the shipping lines that could have been used to finance the operations of local logistics providers.
“And most of the time, (only) at least 80 percent of the deposit is (actually) returned because of other charges that the shipping line deduct,” the group added.
On top of the fleecing the group has been getting from shipping lines thru these questionable charges, they also denounced the rampant corruption prevailing among the personnel working at the container yards.
“Extortion charges demanded by enforcers within the area of CY (container yard), under the table fees demanded by guard, checker, operator and collection of control fee without issuance of official receipt increases the financial burden of truck operators,” the group bared.
Other signatories to the petition are the respective presidents of the Truckers Association for Philippines Economic Zone (TRAPEZ); Manila Seair Truckers Association (MASTA); Philippine Integrated Haulers and Truckers Organizations (PIHTO); Manila North Harbor Truckers Association (MNHTA);
Metro Batangas United Truckers Group, Inc. (MBUTGI); United Haulers and Arms Association of the Philippines, Inc. (U-HAAPI); Haulers for International Liners Association (HILA); Philippines Ports and Transport Council Inc. (PPTC); Federation of Waterfront Truck Operators of the Philippines (FEWTOP); Truck Operators Association of the Philippines (TOAP); Cebu Truckers Association, Inc. (CTAI);
Montalban-San Mateo Truckers Association, Inc. (MSMTAI): Integrated Truckers Association of the Philippines (INTAPHIL); Aduana Business Club Inc. (ABCI); and Aksyon Agad Samahan ng mga Personeros Personeras (AASAP).