NMa sets 2009 pilotage tariffs

For the first time ever, the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) has set the pilotage tariffs. By virtue of the Dutch Pilotage Act, the NMa is charged with oversight of the tariffs to create a fair price-quality ratio in the pilotage industry. Until recently, the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management set the pilotage tariffs.

Adjustments 2009 macro tariff
The changes in tariffs that the pilots are allowed to charge for piloting range from -7.35 per cent for the Rotterdam-Rijnmond area to +16.8 per cent for the Harlingen/Terschelling area, when compared to last year. These differences can be attributed to corrections in contributions to the pre-pensions scheme, to the unlinking of tariffs (as done so under a previous treaty), and to cutbacks in cross-financing.



Correction for pre-pensions and unlinking
Because of a treaty between the Netherlands and Belgium, tariffs in the Westerschelde, Rotterdam-Rijnmond and Amsterdam-IJmond areas used to be linked. Tariffs have thus been set too high in recent years for these harbor areas, resulting in the pre-pension reserves to be higher than they otherwise would have been. In the coming years, users of the Rotterdam-Rijnmond and Amsterdam-IJmond harbors, including ship-owners and agencies, will see some of those revenues back, as a discount on the tariffs. The prepension reserves of these harbor areas will be corrected.



Correction for cutbacks in cross-financing
Using a ministerial regulation, a correction will be applied, at least until 2010, to cut back on the so-called cross-financing. This cross-financing between several Dutch maritime harbor areas involve pilotage tariffs that are not cost-effective. The correction ranges from –0.50 per cent for the Rotterdam-Rijnmond to +14.0 per cent in Harlingen/Terschelling.



Efficiency
Because there has not been any accounting history, there is currently insufficient information to determine exactly how much can be saved on pilotage activities. The Office of Transport Regulation (VK) of the NMa was therefore only sparsely able to assess any possible saving measures. The VK did however determine the current efficiency level for 2008. From 2010 onwards, the pilotage tariff can thus be based on additionally achieved efficiency. In addition, it can now also be determined how efficiency levels of the pilotage process, of pilotage-related activities, and of overhead will develop.



Quality
The Dutch Pilots' Corporation (NLC) currently does not have any kind of registration system that would enable it to measure the level of the quality provided. The NLC has promised to set up quality indicators and to start keeping track of these as soon as possible. Nevertheless, the NMa has set the tariffs for 2009, because of that promise of the NLC, and because harbor users give the current service quality in the Netherlands passing grades. Setting the tariffs now despite the lack of a registration system outweighed setting the tariffs at a later point in time, because users would suffer from too great a drawback in the latter scenario. The NMa will use NLC's quality indicators as input in its tariff proposal for 2010.



Office of Transport Regulation
The Office of Transport Regulation of the NMa ensures that pilotage tariffs are cost-oriented and that they are reasonable for the actual provided service. This is of the utmost importance to the competitive position of Dutch harbors and of maritime transport.