The northern port city of Hai Phong will reduce fees by 20 percent for using infrastructure, service facilities and public utilities at its ports. (Photo: dantri.com.vn)Hai Phong (VNA) – The northern portcity of Hai Phong will reduce fees by 20 percent for usinginfrastructure, service facilities and public utilities at its ports from thebeginning of 2018.
Accordingly, fees for liquid and bulk cargois proposed to be reduced from 20,000 VND to 16,000 VND per tonne.
This was announced at the municipal People’sCommittee meeting to revise Resolution No. 148/2016/NQ-HĐND, dated December13, 2016, which stipulated that individuals and organisations havingshipments stored at bonded warehouses must now pay 2.2 million VND (97 USD) to 4.8million VND (220 USD) per container, an increase of nearly 70 percent. The feesfor goods in transit is from 500,000 VND to 1 million VND.
The resolution came into effect from thebeginning of this year.
The People’s Committee said the city hadreferences from other localities with border gates such as Quang Tri, Tay Ninh,Lao Cai and Quang Ninh and the business reality to implement the higher fees.
However, many associations and businesses raisedconcerns over the high fees, some even appealing to Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc following one year of application.
Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue asked the Ministry ofFinance and Hai Phong city to strictly follow the PM’sinstruction on reviewing fees for using infrastructure, service facilities andpublic utilities at ports in the city.
Chairman of the municipal People’s CommitteeNguyen Van Tung affirmed that the collection of fees for the use ofinfrastructure, service facilities and public utilities at all ports in thecity is as per laws and regulations. The fee collection would contributeto the State budget for the re-investment of transport infrastructure andmaintenance of seaports in the city.
The People’s Committee of Hai An district hasimplemented the fee collection. By the end of September, total fee collectionwas 1.06 trillion VND, meeting with 68 percent of its set targets.
The city’s Department of Finance has cooperatedwith the district in reviewing and pushing fee payments at some businesses. Thecity would impose strict fines for firms making slow payments.-VNA
VNA
