The toll rate implemented by Argentina for vessels will be the central theme of the VIII meeting convened for tomorrow, Friday, by the National Commission of the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway (CNH).
Patricio Ortega, director of the Merchant Marine, held that Argentina He claimed that they are sovereign waters and that there are dredging services. “The documents they presented do not justify that Toll. This violates five articles of an international agreement, ”she stated in an interview with the GEN channel.
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? National Commission will take action against the collection of the toll on the waterway. We spoke with Patricio Ortega, General Director of the Merchant Navy.
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? @EduAguilera_ @CarmiMasi @angelicagesama pic.twitter.com/j1MoF2JzBt– GEN (@SomosGEN) August 18, 2023
Given this situation, this morning the National Commission of the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway (CNH) will hold a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), with the participation of authorities from the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) and representatives of the public and private sectors to analyze the measures.
The call to the meeting was made by the Directorate of Cuenca del Plata and River Navigation of the MRE and will be chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of our country, Ambassador Ruben Ramirez Lezcano.
In addition to the toll rate on the section of the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway between the port of Santa Fe and the confluence with the Paraguay River, other issues on the provisional agenda scheduled for the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway, to be carried out next August 30, in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Alleging that the maintenance and improvement works justify the perception of the toll, the Argentine government ordered since this year that the vessels that transit through said section pay USD 1.47 per tonwhich generated all kinds of protests, especially from the shipping sector in general.
Recently, even the tugboat of Paraguayan flag HB Grus, was retained for not paying the tollbut finally, the fluvial company made the decision to pay what was demanded and he was released.
After numerous protests by authorities and trade unions, Paraguay finally failed, at least for the moment, to have the claims heard by the Argentine authorities.
In this context, during the LVIII Meeting of the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway Agreement Commission held last May, our country reiterated that the Argentine Republic’s toll constitutes a tax on international transport without the agreement of the countries, which At the same time, it is discriminatory and does not respond to services actually provided to navigation, in contravention of the agreement, the regional understandings and practices that make the waterway a factor of growth and economic development, which seeks the modernization and efficiency of operations that facilitate navigation and commercial transport, and allow access under competitive conditions to overseas markets.
On said occasion, the Delegations from Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay also expressed their serious concern about the toll implemented unilaterally outside the regulatory provisions that establish the obligation of States to keep the agreement commission informed of any legislative, administrative or judicial measure implemented in the Member States that has an effect on the application of the agreement so that the commission can evaluate their scope and formulate proposals related to them.
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