XN000022-1996-06-27 — Page 30

-

7 -

It is the Government's policy that fees and charges should in general be set at levels sufficient to recover the full cost of providing the services to which they relate. However, in order to minimise the impact which such increases may have on the general public, fee increases in the order of 9% to 13% only are proposed for most services in this revision exercise. Details of all the fee increases were already tabled in this Council on 5 June 1996. The current and the two subsequent motions are concerned with fees for the registration of births, deaths and marriages.

The fees payable under the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance were last revised in July 1995. We propose to revise them by 9%. In dollar terms, the actual increases range from $5 to $50. If approved, the new fees will be effective from 15 July this year.

Mr President, I beg to move.

End

Foreign Marriage Ordinance

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in moving the motion on the Foreign Marriage Ordinance in Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President.

I move the second motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. It seeks to increase the fees specified in the Foreign Marriage Ordinance.

The Foreign Marriage Ordinance provides a means whereby a Commonwealth citizen can give a notice of marriage in Hong Kong even though the marriage is to take place at a British Embassy abroad. Fees are payable for the issue of a certificate by the Registrar of Marriages. The fees were last revised in July 1995. It is now proposed to increase them from $55 to $60 for a certificate by the Registrar of Marriages given under Section 5, and from $540 to $590 for a Governor's licence given under Section 6 of this Ordinance.

Mr President, I beg to move.

End

Page 30Page 31