Business groups are backing the House bill that aims to strip the Philippine Ports Authority of its mandate as a revenue generator and confine the government regulatory body solely to its role as public port developer and operator.
HB 1400, also known as the Philippine Ports Corp. Act, seeks to avoid a conflict of interest from PPA’s implementation of both functions, according to the bill’s author Bagong Henerasyon Party List representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy. Aside from backing the proposed measure, the joint letter, which was signed by PCCI president George T. Barcelon, PHILEXPORT president Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr., and SCMAP president Pierre Carlo Curay, also favors a revisit of how ports are managed and regulated as recommended in the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan .
Industry stakeholders and experts underscored that competitive neutrality recognizes that significant government business activities in competition with the private sector should not have a competitive advantage or disadvantage simply because of government ownership and control. Basilio said this in a talk last year that this has led to the Authority generating a lot of income, which has been outstripping expenses in port operation, maintenance and development, with the situation effectively becoming a tax burden for port users.
Further, Philports shall collect only the port fees and dues duly approved by MARINA, with no share from the cargo-handling revenues of any service providers Philports contracts or from any revenue generated by private commercial ports.