The Port System Authority of the Sea of Sicily Orientale has decided to abolish the payment of port charges on the security and handling of goods at the expense of operators of the port of Catania. The institution explained that these rights constitute a significant economic burden for operators equal to to over one million euros per year and that this expenditure "affects heavily on community stakeholder balance sheets port, weakening and sometimes compromising, at the same time, the potential of the Etna port of call and the port system in the its complex'.

The AdSP specified that "taking into account the current voucher state of health of the institution's balance sheet and the possibility of ensure essential services even without the payment of fees port by operators, the administration has decided to abolish this taxation as obsolete and no longer Necessary. In general, it is the intention of the Sea AdSP of Eastern Sicily do not weigh down with taxes that are no longer current companies operating in port, as an unnecessary burden of spending would only serve to lose power and potential at the Etna airport. Ordinance No. 07/2022 of 13 October 2022 which makes effective the revocation of the payment of port charges and security fee from 1 January 2023'.

"We are - said the president of the AdSP, Francesco Di Sarcina - putting in place every useful action to increase the competitiveness of our airports. In this perspective, although not underestimating the role that in a given historical moment i port rights have played, we believe the time has come to conclude this experience and make a greater effort towards governance attentive to the needs of port operators and capable to put in place capacity-building initiatives attractions of its ports. We are convinced - concluded Di Sarcina - that these initiatives, together with those aimed at strengthening the infrastructures, currently under construction, will give more chance of growth to the entire Sicilian-Eastern economy".

A decision, that of today's System Authority Port of the Sea of Eastern Sicily, which seems to be able to arouse different opinions on the degree of autonomy of which the port authorities may dispose of, especially in the case of sums which are acquired to the state budget.