Author: MARIUS EMAN GARDE

Issue: 2022-2023

Abstract:

The significant growth in global trade had put pressure on the country to manage the activities of its ports and schedule its resources properly. Port activities are significantly growing and causing terminal-related problems including port overutilization. Port infrastructures and other measures have been proposed in order to eliminate the problems of overutilization and to improve port operational efficiency that impacts the country’s economic growth. As a trade practice at the ports, shipping lines required stakeholders to make deposits for every container for their importations. Stakeholders are given a five-day window to return the empty containers without charges, upon which the container deposit shall be refunded. Otherwise, if the container is returned beyond the five-day window, or after the approved free time the shipping line will impose penalty fees per day of delay in the return of the empty container which shall be deducted from the container deposit. This study determined and identified the factors affecting the return of empty containers, the problems encountered by the stakeholders in the refund of their container deposits, and the results of which necessary actions or remedy which can be used as a basis for effectively implementing the policies to solve port congestion and yard utilization problems in Metro Manila.

The study was developed using a descriptive research method which involve the presentation and discussion of relevant data/information gathered. A total sample of one hundred (100) stakeholders were purposively selected and picked as respondent of the study. A researcher made survey questionnaire was used to gather the necessary information on the problems encountered in the refund of container deposit.

The study found out that it takes a maximum of 61 to 90 days before the refund is release to the stakeholders. Schedule of the release of refund of container deposit and long period of refund of container deposit were considered as serious problems that affects the refund of container deposit. Provision of Official Receipt (OR) and Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR), Validation of OR from the shipping lines, the processing time and accessibility of container deposit refund, and the additional transportation cost for refund process were considered as moderate problems in the process of container deposit refund. Also, it was found out that there is no significant difference in the problems encountered in the process of refund in terms of documents needed, time duration, and company cash flow. However, there is a significant difference in terms of processing cost for refund.

Keywords: Container deposit, Refund, Cash flow, Processing Cost