Previous Story
Bill to waive inter-island wharfage fees signed into law
A Senate bill has been made law to limit the wharfage fees charged by the local ports authority to cargo offloaded at a port or harbor in the Commonwealth, as well as to waive wharfage fees on cargo shipped to and from the islands within the CNMI.
Acting governor Victor Hocog signed the Senate Bill 19-01 on Wednesday, making it Public Law 19-62.
The purpose of the act is to ensure that wharfage fees are charged on time for commodities that are off loaded at any port or harbor under the Commonwealth Ports Authority jurisdiction.
This means the same commodities won’t be assessed wharfae a second time regardless whether the same cargo is shipped from Saipan to Rota or Tinian on a different vessel.
The bill also provided that no wharfage fees will be assed on cargo shipped to and from any CNMI port or harbor.
Per the new law, wharfage fees will be limited to all cargo including liquid petroleum products shipped from outside the CNMI and offloaded at the Port of Saipan, Rota West Harbor, or Tinian Harbor; provided that no additional wharfage fees will be assessed on the same cargo when shipped among ports under CPA and in the CNMI.
No wharfage fees on all cargo including petroleum products shipped to and from Saipan, Rota West Harbor, or Tinian Harbor, the bill states.
“The cost of commodities on Rota and Tinian is a great burden to the customers,” the bill states. “A portion of the added cost is a result of the wharfage fees imposed by the Commonwealth Ports Authority on commodities shipped from Saipan to Rota and Tinian.
Sen. Francisco Cruz (R-Tinian) authored the bill.
