KUALA LUMPUR: The Penang Port Commission, together with Penang Port Sdn Bhd, will not impose a fuel surcharge on ferry services in Penang.
Commission chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin said the decision applies to ferry routes to and from Pangkalan Raja Tun and Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim.
“Amid global fuel price uncertainties that continue to pressure operating costs, the commission and port company remain committed to balancing operational sustainability with the interests of users,”
“This includes strengthening operational efficiency and managing cost pressures prudently without passing the burden on to the people,” he said in a statement Friday (April 17).
He added that the commission will continue to play its role as a trade facilitator and port regulator by ensuring ferry services remain sustainable, resilient, and supportive of mobility and economic activities in Penang.
Earlier, the government agreed to implement a targeted bunker fuel surcharge on maritime public transport starting April 20.
The Transport Ministry said the move is aimed at offsetting rising operating costs in the maritime transport sector without affecting public access to these services.
It added that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have disrupted global energy markets and logistics chains, leading to a sharp rise in marine diesel prices and placing significant pressure on operating costs in the domestic maritime transport sector.
The surcharge adopts a limited ‘pass-through cost’ approach, under which only a small portion of increased fuel costs is transferred to consumers, while the rest is absorbed through government subsidies, operational efficiencies, and internal cost management.
