HCMC – Associations and firms have proposed suspending the collection of fees for using infrastructure facilities and public services at seaports in HCMC to facilitate their recovery and stimulate the economy.
The Private Economic Development Research Board on April 4 wrote to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, pinpointing some impacts of the seaport fee collection on many firms’ operations.
With huge volumes of exports and imports passing through the city’s seaports, the fee collection starting from April 1 has piled pressure on exporters and importers amid the rising costs of logistics services, according to the board.
The city’s decision to collect seaport fees might reduce investors’ confidence in the investment and business climate and cause a spike in production costs, reducing the competitiveness of products and lengthening firms’ recovery time.
The regulation on the differential in fees for making declarations of cargo in HCMC and other localities goes against the prevailing fee and customs laws, which is an act of discrimination and makes life challenging for firms in the city’s neighboring provinces.
As such, the firms and associations proposed suspending the fee collection until the Covid pandemic is brought entirely under control, and collecting seaport fees in line with the fee and customs laws.
Besides, the fee collection should not be applied to users of inland waterway cargo transport, transshipment and re-export services.
