Sunday, September 30, 2007 Collecting fees from owners of rolling cargoes not allowed
ARRASTRE operators in Cebu are prohibited from collecting fees from owners of rolling cargoes, and violators risk facing criminal charges for extortion, said Cebu Port Authority (CPA) Alternate Chairman Oscar Sevilla.
Sevilla, who is also the general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), made the clarification after receiving a complaint on the matter.
Lucio Lim Jr. of Lite Shipping Corp. complained that Philippine Salvage Arrastre Corp. continues to collect arrastre fees at the Toledo City wharf even if services were not rendered.
Rolling cargoes are goods transported on board vehicles that are also loaded on the vessels. The vehicles bearing the cargoes are driven by the owners themselves or their drivers, without need of arrastre services.
However, Lim said that in the guise of assisting the drivers, the Philippine Salvage Arrastre insists on collecting fees.
The firm is owned by a certain Benigno Magpale, a former PPA employee.
The issue was raised during the recent general membership meeting and induction of officers of the Philippine Roro Shipping Association, Inc. at Casino Español.
“It’s very clear in the law. If it is rolling cargo, which means it is driven by the owner into the ship, there shall be no imposition of fees for stevedoring, handling and even wharfage. President Arroyo said there shall be no wharfage,” Sevilla said.
Arroyo issued an executive order abolishing these fees on rolling cargoes to cut cost in transporting goods, which in effect will bring down the prices of commodities.
Sevilla said cargo handlers illegally collecting fees must be reported to the CPA or PPA.
“We will validate any complaint and if there’s strong evidence that they are illegally collecting arrastre fees and they issued receipts for a service that was not rendered, we can cancel the permit,” Sevilla said.
Lawyer Ben Cabrido of Sta. Clara Shipping and Island Shipping said the same problem happens in Camotes and Bantayan islands where arrastre operators collect “assistance fee” from rolling cargo owners without services given. (EOB)
