Nostrodamus, in high indignation may have got the message wrong and misled many.
Still a good ploy, for those of us who stay on, to ensure that we have quays and
anchorages to ourselves.
The idea behind the tax is twofold - the first is to catch the large number of Greeks who own their boats as a result of having omitted to pay their
taxes.
The other is to simplify a fairly complex
charging system - usually honoured in breach more than observance.
All boats, above 7m, will now pay an annual TPP fee based upon length. This replaces port and light dues which one was supposed to volunteer to pay at each port one visited, calling at the local Port Police offices.
The TPP would be payable annually, recorded centrally, on all boats in the water. Those above 12m would have the option of paying monthly for their time in the water, boats 7-12m would have to pay one lump sum.
The only people who will lose out are those who regularly use
anchorages rather than pay port dues. In the case of my boat I will break-even @ my 41st visit to a chargeable port.
As from 01 August all >7m boats (Greek or EU-flagged) are meant to have a DEKPA - in the case of non-EU boats a Transit Log. This will be used for a centralised accounting system run by a private contractor (other than Port Police). Collection of the annual tax has not yet started, and from my knowledge of centralised area networks, unlikely to start before 2015.
No doubt, many Port Police seeing their clerical duties so severely reduced, are in denial of the new system seeing their swollen ranks due to be severely thinned.
Collection of "rental" for quay space will be (it was opined by my contact reading from the official instruction sheet) contracted out to the private investors who
purchase various
ports,
marinas etc. from the Greek
Government.
Hurrah, for privatisation!!
More, in due course here, when the
current facts have been ascertained
New Greek Cruising Tax | CA