Senate probe an opportunity to expose excessive importation fees, PPA says
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has expressed support on the call for investigation on the reported “excessive” increase in port fees, saying this would be the opportunity for the agency to expose the reasons.
In a statement, the PPA has assured full cooperation in the proposed Senate probe and vowed to provide information as to why there was an increase in the port charges.
But it emphasized that the PPA has nothing to do with the excessive increase in port fees.
“We at the PPA are ready to fully cooperate in the Senate investigation and provide vital information from the PPA to address the current problems at the ports caused by the unreasonable charges brought about by the shipping lines,” it added.
The statement was in reaction to the filing of filed a resolution urging the Senate to investigate the administrative orders issued by the PPA that allegedly led to an “excessive” rise in port fees by Hontiveros.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 484, Hontiveros specifically mentioned the AOs pertaining to the grant of port terminal management contracts to bidders with the highest concession price (No. 12-2018), implementation of a “Central Ticketing System” (No. 12-2019); increase in the garbage collection fees (No. 01-2020, as amended); and creation of a mechanism for registration and monitoring of containers entering and exiting ports (No. 04-2021).
The PPA said it is ready to respond to all the questions to clarify the matter.
“Through this inquiry, the PPA will be given the opportunity to properly explain and clarify the said fees and expose the charges possibly causing the increase in importation cost,” the PPA statement read.
“We would like to assure the public that the welfare of the Filipino people is always the priority of the PPA and that the betterment of the country is our prime consideration in every regulation made and implemented within the ports regulated by PPA,” it added.