The Association of Shipping Companies (ASC) draws attention of ship owners to absence of grounds for taking tonnage dues from vessels transiting the port of Rostov-on-Don, PortNews IAA learnt from ASC.
Following recent administrative reforms in the ports of Rostov-on-Don and Azov the subsidiaries of Taganrog Seaport Administration were formed and entitled to take tonnage dues according to the procedures approved by the order of Federal Tariff Service No 522-т/1 dated December 20, 2007 at the rates of “other ports of Black Sea and Azov Sea Basin”.
According to ASC, the newly established Rostov Branch of Taganrog Seaport Administration takes tonnage dues from transit vessels from March 3 2009 in defiance of clause 3.5. Appendix No 2 to the above order of the FTS. The port authorities do not acknowledge the above vessels as transit ones as they are subject to customs clearance and frontier registration within the water area of Rostov-on-Don port and also wait for bridges to be drawn up.
ASC considers this position to be illegal and refer to the norm of the Big Port of St. Petersburg which they think should be applied to all mouth ports.
ASC also thinks the above actions contradict to the RF Law on Seaports of November 8, 2007. The Law does not allow for taking charges envisioned for both sea and river ports, Andrei Shchesnyak, advisor to ASC President, told PortNews IAA. According to him, Taganrog Seaport Administration has raised the cost of call by 40% which is not only illegal but especially inadmissible in the context of the crisis.