No launch fees

JON HOUZET

NDLAMBE'S executive committee has ratified the recommendations of the ward committees not to allow any launch fees to be charged at the Port Alfred small boat harbour or any of Ndlambe's public slipways.

The issue arose after the Small Boat Harbour Company (SBHC) built a boom and announced its intention to charge a launch fee to seek additional revenue to maintain the harbour, as it receives only a fraction of the boat registration fees it collects on behalf of the municipality.

Although it was against the introduction of launch fees, the Ward 10 committee asked council to assist the SBHC by amending its service level agreement with the municipality to increase the percentage the SBHC was paid for collection of boat registration fees.

At last week's executive committee meeting finance director Howard Dredge said he was "totally against" the proposal.

"The harbourmaster's office should have been handed back to us last year. It still hasn't. Our staff have no space," said Dredge. "Nothing should be entertained, no booms, no nothing."

Tandani said any proposal to increase payment to the SBHC would be held in abeyance until the issue of the building was sorted out.