Finland Proposes Reduction of Fairway Dues

The Government of Finland has proposed temporary acts for reducing fairway dues and removing the track tax. The changes will be included in the 2015 budget proposal, a governmental press release read.

According to the statement, fairway dues will be halved for the period 2015-2017. During the same period, no track tax will be levied on rail freight traffic.

Finish government said that these acts are being implemented in order to compensate for the additional costs incurred on maritime and rail traffic by the EU Sulphur Directive.

The proposed changes to fairway dues and track tax would temporarily reduce state revenues by a total of EUR 55.7 million a year. The aim of this measure is to lighten the cost burden of the business sector, particularly where industry is concerned, the government said.

“The unit prices of fairway dues will be reduced, so that the emphasis will be placed on cargo vessels and top ice classes. Icebreakers providing services to the Finnish Transport Agency will not be charged any fairway dues in the future. This would be a permanent change,” the press release said.

Fairway due regulations concerning the Saimaa Canal and inland waterways will be further defined. Vessels would only be charged in cases where they sailed from a coastal port to a Saimaa port or vice versa.

Furthermore, Finland wants to eliminate the separate tonnage dues system, which is considered outdated and an administrative burden.