The government has started work on repealing the Lighthouse Act made 93 years ago with the aim of “lessening the burden of colonial baggage in new India”, according to shipping minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

The ministry has drafted the ‘Aids to Navigation Bill, 2020’ which will replace the Lighthouse Act, 1927 after the Parliament approves the Bill.

The ministry has sought comments from stakeholders on the draft bill.

Every ship arriving at or departing from any port in India will have to pay cess at rates notified by the Central government, under the proposed Act.

For levy of aids to navigation cess, the tonnage of a ship or sailing vessel shall be reckoned as under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, for cess payable on a ship’s capacity including a load of any space added under the said Act to the tonnage of vessels because of such space being utilized for carrying cargo, according to the draft ‘Aids to Navigation Bill’.

A ship will be granted port clearance only on payment of the aids to navigation cess.

Currently, the Central government, as per the provisions of the Lighthouse Act, levies light dues on all the foreign going ships arriving at or departing from any port in India.

The light dues are levied on foreign going vessels @ ₹92 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) on container vessels and @₹8 per tonne other than container vessels once in 30 days. The rates were notified on November 26, 2014.

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