I rise today to highlight some of the fee reductions which pertain to my department, most notably the 10 per cent fee reduction for online use of some services.

My department was founded on the concept of consolidating, as far as possible and practical, licensing, permitting and inspection services within government in order to provide a single window for public access in these areas. In the fiscal year 2005-06, the Department of Government Services collected more than $110 million in revenue for government and handled some 2.5 million transactions with the public.

Some of these transactions include services which we provide online. One of the goals we have identified in our strategic plan is to increase the number of services offered online and the frequency of online use by our clients. In fact, improving e-government is a commitment this government has made in the Blueprint. We hope that consumers will find it is more convenient to access these services at their convenience, in their own homes, or through other Internet access sites, and with faster results.

I am very pleased that we are now able to offer a 10 per cent online fee discount for some of our services at our commercial registries. This will certainly be beneficial for the many users of these registries. These include fees for certificates of incorporation under the Corporations Regulations and filing of annual reports with the Registry of Companies.

In addition, we are offering a 10 per cent online discount for some services at our Motor Registration Division. This division, in particular, processes over 1.5 million transactions a year the most common being vehicle registration renewals which are offered online. In 2005-06, only 17 per cent of all vehicle renewals were conducted via the internet. We want to increase those numbers. Now, anyone renewing their passenger vehicle online will save $18. So far it seems to be a success. Between 12:02 a.m. on May 1 to 4 p.m. on May 2, we had 1,271 vehicle renewals registered online. A normal amount during this period is about 939. The 10 per cent online discount also applies to taxi and motorcycle registration renewals as well as renewal fees for licensing commercial motor vehicles, some trailers and recreational trailers. We are aiming for an increase to 20 per cent use in the first year, 25 per cent use in the second year and 33 per cent in the third year. This will also be a benefit for anyone coming into our Motor Registration offices for service as it should reduce wait times for other services. There will be no reduction in jobs as a result of this initiative.

I have to say though that we did not reduce the overall $180 fee for vehicle renewals because the money we collect is directly used to repair our roads. The overall budget for the Roads Improvement Program this year is valued at $66.5 million � the most ever.

I also want to highlight that we have removed the fee for obtaining a death certificate within one year of the date of death. This will alleviate a burden for anyone having to deal with the death of a loved one. One year after the death of an individual, certificates will cost $20, down from the current $25 as we know that most people requesting death certificates at this point are most likely doing research for family histories. We have also brought our birth and marriage certificate fees in line with the same five dollar reduction.

We have also eliminated what some have considered nuisance fees such as the five dollar fee for written tests and the two dollar fee for road user guides. These are just a few examples of the fees that we have either eliminated or reduced in Budget 2007 and I am very excited that we have been able to offer these savings to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

2007 05 03                                       1:50 p.m.