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SCMP Reporter

THE Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) intends to revise its tariff in the second half of the year to cover not only higher costs of operations, but also to promote higher productivity and encourage more efficient use of resources.

  PSA needs to increase its capacity through more intensive use of its resources such as berths, container yards, shipping channels and anchorages to cope with the strong growth in traffic.

  PSA wishes to stress that the revision of port tariffs is not due to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April 1994.

  Most of PSA's tariff items, including those affected by the revision, are zero-rated, that is the GST rate for these items is zero.

  Further, most of the changes to the port tariff do not affect local importers and exporters, and there should be minimal impact on their costs.

  PSA has not made any major revision to its tariff for 10 years.

  The last tariff revision in 1990 was an exercise to streamline the tariff structure.

  Tariff concessions were granted to ''reward'' the efficient port users, while some restructuring was made to encourage the less efficient ones to improve their operations.

  Since 1985, PSA has passed back to port users savings from productivity gains in the form of concessions and rebates totalling some S$2 billion.

  PSA's container throughput has grown substantially from five million TEUs in 1990 to about nine million TEUs in 1993.

  For 1994, the throughput is expected to reach 10 million TEUs.

  As shipping lines form large consortia to increase their services and enhance flexibility in transshipping containers, PSA has to continually provide more resources to facilitate such fast connections.

  The shifting of containers within the yard and intra/inter-terminal haulage of containers have increased tremendously.

  Since 1990, PSA's operating costs have risen by 48 per cent.

  This was largely due to higher depreciation from large investments in port infrastructure and equipment, higher running costs/re-pairs, and manpower costs.

  From 1990 to 1993, PSA has invested some $2.6 billion in developing new facilities and upgrading existing ones.

  It will spend another $852 million in capital developments in 1994.

  Such investments are necessary to cater for the growing shipping and container traffic, and to maintain a high standard of service to port users.

  PSA has informed the Singapore National Shipping Association, Singapore Manufacturers Association, Singapore Freight Forwarders Association, Singapore Lorry Owners Association, Association of Singapore Marine Industries and the Chambers of Commerce aboutthe proposed tariff revisions.

  PSA will be meeting them to discuss the details of the tariff revision.



Singapore port authority to revise tariffs in second half