Suspension of port fee collection from BARMM seafarers sought

COTABATO CITY — Five members of the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament have drafted a resolution seeking the suspension of the P10 terminal fee collected from each passenger of boats operating in the autonomous region.

The five lawmakers, Jet L. Lim, Jose I. Lorena, Nabil A. Tan, Nuredha I. Misuari and Haber A. Asarul, filed the resolution on Monday, at the parliament in the capitol of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)

Mr. Lim, the main proponent of the resolution, told reporters on Tuesday that their proposal, if approved by Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua, will ease the burden of poor seafarers now complaining about the effects of the spiraling cost of petroleum products as a consequence of the conflict in the Middle East.

The Bangsamoro Ports Management Authority (BPMA) imposes the P10 terminal fee for passengers boarding vessels berthing at seaports operating under its supervision.

“Our proposal, via a resolution, will not affect the revenue generation of the regional government because the revenues collected from that terminal fee scheme are not really so big,” Mr. Lim, also spokesperson of the Bangsamoro parliament, said.

Mr. Lim said a temporary suspension of the P10 terminal fee from each boat passenger in BARMM is a big help for boat passengers whose earnings are just enough for their daily needs.

“We ought to help our marginalized constituents this time. The effect of the high cost of petroleum products, plaguing the Bangsamoro region, is making life difficult for our low-income constituents,” Mr. Lim said.

He said he is thankful to his four co-authors that willingly supported his bid for a momentary halt in the BPMA’s collection of terminal fees in all of the ports in BARMM. — John Felix M. Unson