Exporters to pay new port taxes

Introducing new port taxes from 1 July will reduce the competitiveness of domestic importers in serbia and bring new expenses to manufacturers, while the old bargees will ''run away'' in foreign ports with no extra charge, said Vukosav Savkovic, CEO of ''Zita Srbije'', for the Tanjug.

According to him, four out of six taxes will be put in force from 1 July, as the government approved to the newly formed Port Governance Agency, in order to meet the needs of the enterpreneurs who appealed to the authorities.

- Those taxes are problem for our competitiveness – said Sakovic, and added that they are applied ''here and there'' at Danube ports.

Only three out of 33 loading places in Hungary have those taxes, claims Sakovic.

- When we put them in force, we will be in the same position as three Hungarian ports, but 30 loading places will be far in front of us – warned Sakovic.

He said that this is not only a problem of the importers, because the port tax is just an item in exporter's calculations.

- When it comes to exporter's calculations or exporter's expenses, the cost is always paid by a manufacturer – said Sakovic.

Prices of goods which come from Romania, Hungary and some other countries, and do not have those taxes, will be more favourable exactly by the tax rate – repeated Sakovic.

- The other issue is a question of foreign bargees, who have already announced that they will dock only in those ports which do not have an extra charge, not just because of the price, but a demanding paper work as well – said Sakovic.