PPA sees flat cargo and revenues in 2017

discourage them from travelling.

Jonathan Grella, an executive vice president for the US Travel Association, said he hopes that the government is trying to make travel more secure, not to suppress it, and that the US still welcomes business and leisure visitors.

Analysts said some travellers who want to keep their devices with them will switch to flights that reach the US from Europe or Asia, even if it means an extra connection.

For business travellers, the ban on laptops in the cabin "is a potential productivity killer,'' said Robert Mann, an aviation consultant in Port Washington, New York. "If you were planning to work on the flight, you've just burned 14 hours of your day.''

Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst in San Francisco, said some companies forbid employees from putting expensive company property such as laptops in checked bags, where theft is always a risk.

Making matters worse for passengers, most airlines say in their policies that they don't cover or they limit compensation for expensive items such as electronics that are placed in checked bags.

Naureen Shah, Senior Director of Campaigns at Amnesty International USA, warned the order poses risks to journalists and human rights advocates, "who will be forced to hand over laptops and devices containing sensitive information, potentially compromising their sources.''

Despite a banner year in 2016, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is overhauling its 2017 forecast and expects this year’s growth to be nominal as the peso remains volatile and local mining operations become sluggish.

“Last year was a great year for the agency. We posted significant figures in terms of cargo volume and revenues,” confirmed PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago. But “This year will be different.”

“While we expect this condition to be temporary, we are bracing for a challenging 2017.”

“Based on our review, almost all our business aspects have already reduced targets and budgets for 2017 ranging from the original 20% to only 3%,” he noted.

“Nonetheless, PPA will remain resilient and committed to carry out its mandate of better connectivity and service amidst these developments.”

Ports under the Port Management Offices of Surigao, Nasipit, Palawan, Batangas, Manila, Northern Luzon, were hard-hit by issues clouting the local mining industry, among others, the PPA GM cited.

These ports handle the bulk of shipments from mining firms, from nickel, manganese, smelted copper, and refined copper including pumice, marble, silica sand as well as iron ore, chromium, silver and Zinc.

The Surigao port in particular, broke past the half billion mark in annual revenues for the first time in more than three decades, as it piggy-backed on the growth of local mining.

Increased volume in the export of mineral products at private mining ports, along with longer port stays and increased vessel frequency, boosted Surigao port’s revenues.

Meanwhile, this year, PPA’s revised Corporate Operating Budget (COB) was slashed to R14.59 billion. Just 2 per cent higher than the 2016 COB where the biggest reductions were made in Port Dues, Berthing, Anchorage, Arrastre/Stevedoring, Pilotage, Wharfage for export, Ro-Ro fees as well as nontraditional income sources.

On the other hand, PPA’s Revised Operating Expenses ballooned to R16.22 billion this year from only R9.33 billion in 2016 while total capital expenditure almost doubled to R7.42 billion.

This developed as the agency implemented several port projects, from modernizing Mindanao and Visayas ports such as Iloilo, Gen. Santos, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga to improving all passenger terminal buildings and implementing repair and maintenance as well as 14 other capital expenditure projects.

PPA’s total budget outlays for 2017 is now pegged at R23.64 billion versus its R23.87 billion total budget source

Last year, the port authority netted R6.159 billion profits, exceeding its target by 165 percent, or R3.836 billion, with increased lay-up fees, Ro-Ro fees, berthing fees and remittances from Asian Terminals, Inc.

Compared to the year-ago level, the 2016 figure was 8 percent better against the R5.705 billion registered in 2015.