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Panama offering anchorage fees exemption for vessels in lay-up

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The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) is to exempt anchorage fees international trading vessels choosing to lay-up in its waters.

AMP announced that in coordination with the Ministry of Health (MINSA), it was allowing international vessels, including tankers and container and cruise vessels, which are not currently in operation, to anchor their in the Bay of Panama with only their minimum crew on board.

The incentive measure provides an exemption of payment for anchorage fees in Panamanian waters to all vessels over 500 GT registered under the Panamanian Flag for a period of 90 days. 

This benefit of the suspension of payment of anchorage fees, is extended to the same category to foreign-flagged vessels, for 60 days.

The passenger vessel segment will also be exempted of payment of anchorage fees to this type of vessels in: ports, berths, anchorage areas and marinas of Panama, which are registered under the Panamanian flag during a period of 90 days, with the purpose of making the services offered by the auxiliary maritime industry more attractive to the vessels that transit or arrive at Panama’s ports.

Each one of these ships is required to conform to strict protocols, for the time they remain in Panamanian waters, providing they will maintain the regulation of only receiving auxiliary maritime services, taking in account that these are operations that do not require direct physical contact between the service providers and the crews of these ships, such as: fuels, provisioning, among other basic products for the operation of the ship.

They will be charged for navigational aids, pollution charges and docks; this activity is also carried out for the transfer and supply of fuel to ships that require it, they will be allowed to be anchored with their crew on board, without the need to go ashore except when by prior indication and authorisation of the Ministry of Health (MINSA), for cases of humanitarian aid. 

It is also established that vessels at anchor must comply with the rules and regulations established to prevent contamination of the sea and the integral management of waste and residues, applicable to all port facilities and shipyards in the Republic of Panama.