A group of truckers has asked the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to start implementing the digital monitoring and registration of container vans in the country’s ports, saying this would eliminate container deposits and to regulate the management of empty containers.
Zeny Zapata, president of the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines, Inc (CTAP), said the Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS) is the solution to their decade-long problem in high logistics costs and return of empty containers.
The TOP-CRMS is a digital program of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) which is aimed at lowering logistics cost by replacing the status quo of container deposit that amounts to P10,000- P30,000 with a P250 container deposit insurance and P730 container monitoring fee.
The TOP-CRMS also promises to address empty container handling costs as it will reduce the existing charge from P6,400 to P3,520.
"We strongly opposed the unfair, unjust, oppressive and unregulated charges of International Shipping lines.", said Zapata in a letter addressed to DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista on May 16.
“We believe that TOP-CRMS will put an end to the "abuses of the international shipping lines in the imposition of the their destination charges and will effectively regulate the mismanagement of empty containers" she added.
Under Section 6 of Presidential Decree No. 857, PPA has the duty to supervise, control, regulate, construct, maintain, operate and provide facilities or services belonging to the Authority, thus, pursuant to this mandate, TOP-CRMS will provide efficient port services to the public. But since it has been deferred by the board, we are just waiting for further instructions.
According to letter of CTAP, the current operational costs on pullout and return of empty containers have caused the daily loss in business opportunity amounting to P40,000,000 for an approximate number of 4,000 containers among its members.
Unregulated charges imposed by the international shipping lines on the other hand, amount to more or less P90,000.00 and P50,000.00 for 40-footer and 20-footer containers, respectively, as shown in the computation provided by CTAP.
The association also raised in its letter their concern on the imposition of detention charges for the return of empty containers even the delayed was due to non-availability of slots at the designated container yard of the shipping lines along with other issues on the charging of container deposit, extortion of traffic constable and other unofficial fees in transacting at container yards, among others.
CTAP concluded their letter by sincerely requesting the DOTr Secretary to listen to their presentation in their request to implement TOP-CRMS.