Government to boost export industry competitiveness by permanently halving fairway dues from 2025
The Ministry of Transport and Communications requests comments on the draft government proposal on the temporary halving of fairway dues in 2024–2027. The deadline for submitting comments is 1 September 2023. Alongside this, the Ministry is launching a project to amend the Act on Fairway Dues in order to make the halving of the fairway dues permanent.
The Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government, published on 20 June 2023, specified that the temporary halving of fairway dues should be made permanent. Fairway dues are collected under the Act from merchant vessels calling at Finnish ports. The amendment will establish fairway dues at the level in use since 2015.
The permanent halving will be carried out in two stages, avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy and overlapping preparatory work. During the first stage, provisions will be laid down on the temporary collection of halved fairway dues in 2024–2027. During the second stage, the temporary halving will be repealed and provisions will be laid down on the permanent halving of fairway dues from the beginning of 2025.
“The permanent halving of fairway dues is one way in which the Government ensures that the Finnish economy's cornerstone, the export industry, remains competitive and that Finnish people continue to have jobs. This will have a particularly positive impact on the coastal areas from Kotka to Kemi. The Government will also implement several legislative projects and investments to strengthen Finland as a whole. At our Ministry, we have already rolled up our sleeves, and we invite you to actively follow our work,” says Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne.
Fairway dues have been halved since 2015 under temporary acts. Initially, halving was carried out to compensate for the costs of the Sulphur Directive in maritime transport. Since then, halving has been justified by the efforts to boost competitiveness and promote economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current temporary act will expire on 31 December 2023. Without legislative measures, the 2014 fairway dues would be reintroduced on 1 January 2024.
Next steps
The deadline for submitting comments is 1 September 2023. All organisations and private individuals may submit comments at www.lausuntopalvelu.fi. After the consultation process, the preparations will continue by public officials as part of their regular duties. The proposal is scheduled to be submitted to Parliament in autumn 2023 at the same time with the budget acts. The temporary act would enter into force on 1 January 2024 and remain in force until 31 December 2027.
The plan is to present the permanent halving of fairway dues to the Government and Parliament in connection with the autumn 2024 budget acts. These legislative amendments would enter into force 1 January 2025
Inquiries:
Juha Tervonen, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 342 070, [email protected]
