MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay not unwilling to pay Waterway toll, FM says

Article 8 of the Waterway Treaty allows countries to charge tolls under certain conditions, Ramírez recalled

Paraguayan Foreign Ministry Rubén Ramírez Lescano told Congress Wednesday in Asunción that the government of President Santiago Peña was not against barges sailing through the Paraná Waterway paying toll provided there was a service in return.

Ramírez thus showed a vision different from that expressed the day before by Raúl Valdez, president of the Center of River and Maritime Shipowners of Paraguay, who insisted his sector would not be accepting any fee charged by Argentina.

The Foreign Minister also required a consensus from all the signatories of the Waterway Treaty to acquiesce to Argentina's collection requirements.

Meanwhile, a Paraguayan delegation from the National Administration of Navigation and Ports (ANNP), the Foreign Ministry, and private entrepreneurs held meetings with local authorities in Buenos Aires Wednesday to discuss the issue.

In this regard, Ramírez highlighted that since President Javier Milei's inauguration on Dec. 10, 2023, no seizures of Paraguayan vessels had been carried out for refusing to pay the toll.

Paraguay's top diplomat also recalled that pursuant to Article 8 of the Paraná Waterway Treaty, countries may charge tolls, as long as there are certain services rendered and all five member countries agree to it.

The meeting in the Argentine capital was to review those two issues: how much Argentina intends to charge and how those fees are justified.

Ramírez also insisted that if a fee is paid, passage should be available round the clock. He also pointed out that the potential surcharge should be adequate for operators to be competitive and that the necessary investments should be made from the beginning of the Paraguay-Paraná waterway in Puerto Cáceres to its conclusion in Nueva Palmira.

The minister also recalled that Argentina owed Paraguay some US$ 117 million for Yacyretá electricity consumed under President Alberto Fernández. Paraguay offered Argentina to cancel its debt in installments and is now awaiting a reply from Buenos Aires.