Newsroom Blog
THE consultation document issued by the UK’s Department for Transport on light dues appears to be seriously flawed.
The Independent Light Dues Forum and the Lights Advisory Committee have each drawn attention to misleading claims or inaccurate assertions made in the paper.
Both organisations are strongly opposed to government plans to increase the levy on ships calling at British ports to pay for lighthouses and other navigational aids. So picking holes in the consultation document is hardly surprising.
But the LAC, which represents a number of bluechip shipowners as well as respected trade bodies, has accused the DfT of misrepresenting its position by creating the impression that the committee supports the proposals.
Furthermore, both the LAC and ILDF challenge DfT claims that the three general lighthouse authorities help to avoid incidents of pilot error or mechanical failure.
As the LAC states in its response to the DfT paper, “these obvious (and, for the Department, uncharacteristic) failures to understand what the GLAs actually do invites sharp attention to the consultation document’s repeated description of the entirety of the GLAs’ work as essential, particularly as no assessment appears to have been made of whether it is actually so.”
Plans to raise the tax when the shipping industry is in deep recession were always going to be hugely unpopular, but to base the case for higher light dues on spurious arguments is no way to proceed.
Shipping minister Jim Fitzpatrick should regain industry respect by acknowledging the errors and going back to the drawing board.
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