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The
Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) implements an increase of
the passenger terminal fee at the Tagbilaran City Port effective
on Tuesday from the present P11 to P20.
This
even as some groups opposing the terminal fee hike, one led
by former Bohol Gov. Rolando Butalid, is calling for a public
hearing to be initiated by either the Sanggunian of the city
or provincial government.
The
increase was proposed by the PPA back in November 2006 to
recover the costs of a newly-installed Luggage X-Ray Machine
and Passengers' Walk-through Detector which aims to beef up
the port's security amid clamor for tight security for passengers
taking vessels at the Tagbilaran wharf.
The
volume of passengers coming in and out of the city port has
gone up as Bohol is now a prime tourist destination.
A
public advisory issued by Acting Port Manager Aurelio Gambuta
explained that the port fee hike will be incorporated into
the current P11 terminal fee collected by Starlight, who operates
the port terminal building.
PPA
General Manager Oscar Sevilla approved the port fee increase
last April 20 as a result of a recommendation given by the
Port Management Advisory Council (PMAC) which conducted a
public hearing last November 16, 2006.
OPPOSITION
Fomer
Gov. Butalid, in an interview with the Chronicle, said that
the terminal building should already be operated by the PPA
after it has been operated by Starlight, a private port operations
contractor, for the past ten years.
Butalid
stressed that the costs of constructing the "low-cost,
bodega-style" terminal building have long been recovered
by Starlight with a considerable margin of profit.
Butalid
pointed out that a P20 terminal fee per passenger is "unreasonable
and burdensome."
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He
asks for transparency as to the actual cost of the X-Ray
machine and Walk-through detector where the cost-recovery
should be based and spread over the equipment's life
span.
This
way, the former governor said, the PPA "would not
have to collect an expensive fee but just enough to
recover the cost."
Butalid
argued that the P20 increase hits the low-income class
and the students.
He said majority of port users and passengers belong
to the "masa" who "just pass the terminal
on their way to the vessels" as they have to "occupy
their cots and guard their cargoes and belongings."
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"Even
most passengers of fast crafts do not also use the terminal
except as passageway" since most passengers arrive just
a few minutes before scheduled departure, Butalid stressed.
Butalid
is requesting for the active participation of the Bohol Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) in a public hearing that should
be conducted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan or the Sangguniang
Panlungsod.
"The
plight of low-income passengers and students" should
be considered in the public hearing, he added.
MACHINE
COST-RECOVERY
The
X-Ray machine for luggage and Walk-through Detector for passengers
cost P7 million, according to a computation presented by the
PPA.
The
P9 added to the existing P11 terminal fee collected by Starlight
will accrue to the PPA for the X-Ray machine's operating costs,
maintenance and return on asset (ROA).
The X-Ray machine and Detector, which is already operational,
is installed not only at the local wharf but in 30 other ports
nationwide as part of upgrading security measures in local
ports.
The
machine's ROA is pegged at P700,000 (10% of cost, P7 million).
At an estimated serviceable life span of 10 years, depreciation
costs of P700,000 will be charged per year.
Operating
costs of the machine is estimated at P3.8-million annually.
This includes salaries of the operating crew, power consumption
and a 10% on-cost maintenance.
The
X-Ray and Detector will be operated by six personnel (security
guards/operators) on three 8-hour shifts.
The
new equipment also comes with additional air-conditioning
units.
The
increase is already computed with 12% value-added tax.
"UNFAIR
AND UNREASONABLE"
Butalid
stressed that it is time the government should assume operations
of the port terminal in order to protect passengers and port
users from "excessive" fees.
He
said the rentals of the coffee shop and convenience store
operating inside the terminal building and the ticketing offices
of several shipping firms is "substantial enough"
to defray operation and maintenance costs.
The
former governor noted that Starlight have been operating since
1997, and yet, there has never been an accounting given to
the public or the government.
Even
audits to determine the building cost and the income derived
from its operations is not provided, he said.
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