TONGA

WHARVES (AMENDMENT) ACT 1997

Act 18 of 1997

AN ACT TO AMEND THE WHARVES ACT

I assent,
TAUFA'AHAU TUPOU IV,
14th January, 1998

[5th November, 1997]

BE IT ENACTED by the King and Legislative Assembly of Tonga in the Legislature of the Kingdom as follows:

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Wharves (Amendment) Act 1997.

(2) The Wharves Act (Cap. 138) as amended, is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

2. The words "Tonnage Duty" where ever they appear in the Principal Act is hereby amended by deleting the same and replacing it with the words "Berth dues".

3. Schedule C of the Principal Act is amended by deleting the whole schedule C and replacing it by the following:

"SCHEDULE C - BERTH DUES

Description of Vessels	Charge for each vessel's gross registered
tonnage (GRT) for each hour (part of an
hour is to be regarded as 1 hour) that the
vessel is alongside the wharf.	
Passenger Vessels		
- Local (With Coasting Licence)	$0.01 per tonne (during loading/ Unloading)	
		
- Overseas	$0.65 per 100 tonnes (less than 100	
	tonnes is to be regarded as 100 tonnes).	
Other Vessels		
- Overseas & Local	$0.01 per tonne	

There is a minimum charge of $4.00 per docking. Local registered vessels under 15 gross registered tonnes are exempt.

Provided that in the event of Cruise Ships belonging to the same Shipping Line making a total of between one and four visits in a calendar year only 75% of the Berth Dues will be charged for such visits and further provided that if such ships make between five and eight visits in a calendar year only 5% of the Berth Dues shall be charged for such visits and for visits in excess of eight in a year Berth Dues of 171/2% shall be charged lot such visits."

Passed in the Legislative Assembly this 5 day of November, 1997.

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