Aqaba authority urging terminal operator to scrap congestion fee on containers

AMMAN — The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority is working to reverse a decision by Maersk, the company managing Aqaba’s container terminal, to impose a $200 “congestion fee” on imported or exported containers as of July 15, ASEZA Chief Commissioner Hani Mulki said Saturday.

“Maersk imposed this fee in December but after several efforts I exerted as a regulator, the company went back on its decision,” Mulki told The Jordan Times over the phone.

The company recently decided to impose $200 as a congestion fee, he said. 

“We urged the company to rescind its decision and are exerting all possible efforts to cancel this fee.”

Mulki said he refused to be the chairman of the Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) board when he was offered the position.

“How can I be a regulator and working at ACT at the same time?” he asked.

“As regulators, we urged ACT to cancel [the planned fee] and we will make sure we exert all efforts for this to happen,” he said. 

“I also refuse to be chairman of any other company because I am the head of a regulating entity,” noted Mulki.

Merchants and importers have been complaining about delays in handling shipments at the terminal that are causing major losses for them.

Last week, Amman Chamber of Commerce President Issa Murad said efforts are under way to resolve the issue of delays at the terminal. 

Also last week, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour stressed the government’s commitment to addressing the issue and finding a solution. 

Data released by ACT and reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Friday indicated that container movement at the terminal increased by 10 per cent this Ramadan, compared to the same period last year. 

During the first 21 days of Ramadan, 14,097 containers were loaded, and left ACT, compared to 12,845 in the same period last Ramadan. 

ACT received 4,428 outgoing filled containers in the first 21 days of this Ramadan, with an average of 211 containers a day, 69 per cent higher than the previous Ramadan when it registered 2,624 containers, with a daily average of 131 containers. ACT said it registered a record on Friday when it loaded 905 trucks in one day.