President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (CMU) to rationalise the system of port dues. The corresponding decision was secured by his Decree on Immediate Actions toward Reforms Implementation and Strengthening of the State No. 837/2019 by 08 November 2019.
In particular, the head of state charged CMU with assuming measures in respect of “optimization of the port dues system and bringing them to the competitive level including approval of the port dues rates’ calculation techniques and of the port dues’ collection procedures, as well as of those dues’ rates values, accounting and funds application procedures”.
According to the document, the mentioned steps’ time of performance is till 30 April 2020.
In 2018 Ministry of Infrastructure developed the draft Order on Approval of Port Dues Rates’ Calculation Techniques. “The port dues rates’ calculation techniques has been developed due to the necessity of the basic tasks simultaneous solution as follows: the definition of rates calculation mechanism, … reduction of the port dues’ CPU level on a cargo unit in the ports of Ukraine to the same of the ports overseas, taking into account the best world practice and recommendations by foreign experts”, as it was observed in the explanatory note. As per the draft, the formation of port dues’ rates was planned basing on the two components: Basic Rate and Investment Consituent.
Since 01 January 2018 CMU lowered the port dues’ rates by 20% and reduced the net profit share of Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) to be remitted to State Budget from 75 to 50%.
In June 2019 Acting Head of USPA Raivis Veckagans conveyed his opinion that any abatement of the port dues was expedient only combined with the State Budget share rate within 30%.
https://ports.com.ua/news/zelenskiy-poruchil-utverdit-metodiki-rascheta-portovykh-sborov