CPA gives moratorium on berthing, port fees

CEBU, Philippines —  In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) Board has declared a moratorium on the payment of berthing, anchorage, and permit fees or rentals for port concessionaire spaces, stalls, booths, check-in counters and other similar commercial spaces.

Under Administrative Order (AO) No. 02-2020 dated 12 May 2020, the CPA Board has declared a moratorium on the payment of the vessel fees for the duration of their hold departure pursuant to the government-imposed community quarantine measures.

The moratorium also applies to permit fees or rentals for concessionaire spaces, stalls, booths and check-in counters at the CPA Passenger Terminal Buildings (PTBs), and similar commercial spaces at the CPA Baseport and Subports that ceased operation due to closure of all passenger terminals in Cebu, in compliance with the community quarantine measures mandating the closure of seaports except for cargo deliveries of essential goods.

“This COVID-19 situation has tremendously affected our port operations and port stakeholders. The suspension of all passenger vessels due to the declaration of community quarantine measures have led to the temporary closure of our passenger terminals,” CPA General Manager Leonilo E. Miole said, in a statement.

Miole said that the CPA Board deems it just to declare a moratorium on the payment of permit fees/rental by lessees of spaces inside CPA PTBs that have since ceased to operate and a moratorium also as regards berthing fees and anchorage fees of domestic passenger vessels that have been lying idle at berth or at anchorage since the imposition of community quarantine measures.

However, Miole clarified that, as stipulated in the issued AO, all domestic cargo and cargo-passenger vessels that are allowed to continue to operate shall not be covered by the moratorium.

Nevertheless, the CPA Board is cognizant of the fact that while cargo vessels are allowed to continue to operate, they too have suffered and continue to suffer the effects of the pandemic and the imposition of COVID-19 quarantine measures especially insofar as their regular shippers are concerned.

“Hence, by way of support and in recognition of their valuable service in the delivery and unhampered flow of goods, the said vessels shall be assessed only on a per day basis instead of the per hour basis pursuant to existing rates prescribed by CPA,” Miole said.

Moreover, under the said AO, vessels that are not cleared for departure to its next port of call due to COVID-19 quarantine measures shall be exempt from the payment of berthing or anchorage fees, as the case may be, for the duration of their hold-departure.

Miole added that the moratorium shall have a retroactive application starting March 16, 2020 to June 30, 2020 or when domestic passenger vessels / passenger-cargo vessels are allowed to operate  or sail, or whenever normal port operations shall have resumed, whichever comes first.  GAN (FREEMAN)