MARINA reimposes tonnage dues for local vessels
MANILA – In line with its efforts to boost its revenue collection, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) announced that it is resuming the imposition of tonnage dues on local vessels.
MARINA Administrator Emerson Lorenzo said this will take effect soon, but he declined to give further details except adding that operators and owners of fishing vessels will be exempt from the order.
Lorenzo also said that the new circular is basically similar to the old version.
Under the old version, MARINA collects a tonnage fee of P25 to P35 per gross tonnage or a minimum of P500 per ship. All owners, operators and charterers of Philippine-registered ships operating in the domestic trade are required to pay the fee.
The annual tonnage fee is assessed on the total gross tonnage as of December 31 of the year immediately preceding the calendar year.
Shipowners, operators or charterers who fail to pay the fee on or before Dec. 31 of each year are meted a 50 percent surcharge plus a one percent interest for every month of delinquency.
MARINA suspended the collections of tonnage fee after a group of vessel operators threatened to go on strike if the said order and five other directives are not suspended.
In their petition to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the group said the tonnage fee was effectively abolished with the passage of Republic Act No. 9295 or the Domestic Shipping Act of 2004.*PNA
