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The
Minister of Transport, Datuk Seri
Dr Ling Liong Sik has agreed to
intercede in a dispute raging
between the Malaysian Airport (Sepang)
Bhd and the Airfreight Forwarders
Association of Malaysia over the
threat by the former to close down
the KLIA Cargo Village to members
of the association for alleged
non-payment of charges disputed by
AFAM.
The
meeting, expected to be held this
week, will look into the legality
of FCZ charges levied by MAB
Sepang, in particular MAB’s
claim that the government, through
the Ministry of Transport, had
authorised MAB Sepang to levy a
cargo tax styled “FCZ charge”
under the coincession agreement
between the government and MAB
Sepang.
AFAM
has raised the issue on the
collection of FCZ processing fee
by MAB Sepang as being unjustified
and not sanctioned under the Free
Zone Act 1990, or Free Zone
Regulations 1991.
Pending
the outcome of the meeting, MAB,
in justifying its claims over the
legality of the charges, had
extended its deadline on the
closure of the cargo centre
beginning 16 August to 30
September urging the airfreight
forwarders to settle their
outstanding bills (amounting RM3.2
million).
AFAM
maintains the collection of the
processing fee (by MAB Sepang)
lacks legislative authority but
MAB Sepang had sought to justify
the FCZ charge under the
concession agreement between the
government and itself.
“The
argument that MAB possess such a
right to raise FCZ charges under
the concession agreement is just a
desperate attempt to find a basis
for a charge that is illegal from
the start,” AFAM said in a
letter to MAB Sepang dated 3rd
August 2001.
It
also pointed out the MAB has been
appointed as the Free Zone
Authority by the Minister of
Finance under the Free Zones Act
1990 and as such has
responsibilities and obligations
under the Act to act in accordance
with the Act at all times “and
not some private agreement that
the public is not aware of.”
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