House approves bill that increases wharfage and dock fees

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The House of Representatives has approved in final ready the bill hiking wharfage and dock charges,

The vote was 15-0 with House Speaker Savali Talavou Ale adding his support to the administration revenue measure.

Director of Port Administration, Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Poumele says the hikes should bring in $2 million.

The fees haven’t been hiked for more than 30 years.

However members of the Chamber of Commerce have expressed concern about the impact of the higher fees on the costs of doing business and say these costs will be passed onto consumers.

While there have been concerns that the higher fees will raise operational costs for the canneries, the chairman of the Revenue Task Force Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo Ale told a Senate hearing that StarKist is exempt from these charges under its tax exemption certificate.