The recently introduced (January 2004), ‘Ley del Puertos’ (48/2003), as expected, created an angry backlash from all the sectors, including the marinas, to the massive increase in charges.
ANADE, the local marina operators’ association originally gave estimates of increased costs of up to 74% affecting the 15 local ports under concession from the Spanish state which would mean some of these costs being passed onto their clients.
After several meetings between the respective sector representatives and the State port authority an agreement, according to informed sources, will mean up to a 50% cut in the charges levied to private yachtsmen hopefully effective within the first quarter of 2005: this is unlikely to be back dated.
The fifteen marinas involved are within the ports of; Alcudia, Palma, Ibiza, Mahon and Formentera.
The latest news is that the navigational lights tax (old T-0 tax) is likely to be held at 4 Euros/m2/year and that the ‘sportscraft tax’ will be levied at 0.04 Euros/m2/day.