Filenews 21 December 2023
The Association of Cyprus Shipping Agents expresses dissatisfaction with the new increases that P&O Maritime Logistics, the company that exclusively offers sea services to ships in the port of Limassol, intends to impose from January 1st, warning that the new increases will bring "cascading increases" to trade and consumers.
In today's announcement, the Association expects the Ministry of Transport to take "even the last possible and required actions to avoid a new cycle of abusive increases".
According to the announcement, the company announced to port users its intention "to impose new unjustified increases as of January 1, 2024 following cumulative increases of 33% imposed over the last two years."
"The Cyprus Shipping Agents Association warns that the new increases will have a knock-on effect on trade and consumers," the statement said.
According to the Association, despite the fact that based on the calculation formula in the contract with the state where the respective increases are provided (Indexation) does not arise a right for new increases in ports for the coming year, the company relies on a clause of the contract which claims to give it the right to new increases in the fees charged to ships.
"It is expected that the competent Ministry of Transport, having received a timely letter of protest from the Association of Cyprus Shipping Agents with notification to all stakeholders, will take even the last possible and required actions to avoid a new cycle of abusive increases in ports that burden the already high inflationary trends of the economy," the shipping agents conclude.
