The port of Rotterdam will reduce the harbour taxes ulteriorly



The Harbour Authority of Rotterdam will continue own tariff politics that preview the concession of reductions in price on the harbour taxes to the aim to stimulate the landings place of the ships to the Dutch port of call. Also in 2013, for the fourth consecutive year, reductions will be applied, than - it has specified today the Port of Rotterdam Authority - they will be more consisting regarding those of 2012 and will carry the harbour taxes to inferior levels to those of 2008.

In particular the tariff plan for 2013, that it is defined by the Port of Rotterdam Authority after a consultation with the association of the harbour enterprises Deltalinqs and with the association of shipping agents VRC, previews not only the maintenance of the current reductions in price, once again without an adaptation to the inflation rate, but also the introduction by the harbour authority of an ulterior reduction in price of 2%. Moreover the Harbour Authority has established that it will assign five million euros deriving from the harbour taxes to initiatives in order to support the economic and harbour activities. Also it is decided to maintain in vigor the environmental incentives destined to stimulate fluvial navigation.

Remembering that during the last few years reductions in price are applied and that the harbour taxes are not put up of the inflation rate, the Harbour Authority has explained that this politics will carry in the 2013 to a total reduction in price of 8.6% respect to a level of harbour taxes adapted to the rate of inflation and to which are not applied reductions in price. In 2013 - it has specified the agency - the companies will pay altogether about 30 million euros in less.

"Even if the traffic is in light increase - it has found the managing director of Port Authority, Hans Smits - is numerous companies that are living a difficult moment. We hope that this consisting reduction in price will help our customers and will attract goods to Rotterdam. So there will be a gain from both the parts. Moreover we are also sending a positive sign allocating ulterior five million euro for initiatives in the entrepreneurial field to the aim to return the port more sustainable".

The president of Deltalinqs, Wim van Sluis, has observed that the initiative has also the scope to increase the competitiveness of the port of Rotterdam: in this way - it has emphasized - the entire harbour community can work in order to increase own market share in the harbour range Amburgo-Le Havre.

Last year the Harbour Authority of Rotterdam has collected altogether harbour taxes for 291 million euros generated by the marine traffic and for other 15 million euros generated by the inland navigation. In the 2011 returns produced from the which released harbour areas in concession they are piled to 267 million euros.