Parliament has approved the Fees and Charges Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022.

The approval gives legal backing to the request for a 15 percent increment on the cost of government fees and charges.

During the second reading stage of the bill, a deputy Minister for Finance, Abena Osei Asare, indicated that the increment is to ensure that the cost of government fees and charges keeps up with the current trends in pricing.

The increment will kick-start after the President signs it into law.

Charges for government services such as vehicle registration and driver’s license issuance by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA); birth and death certificate issuance by the Birth and Death Registry, and passport issuance by the Passports Office, among others, will be affected.

These charges will be subjected to an annual adjustment by the average inflation rate with the consent of the Finance Minister.

Hitherto, these agencies had to propose their service charge increment to the Finance Ministry, negotiate and get approval.

This forms part of new initiatives by the government intended to raise domestic revenue.