Members of the public who visit government institutions from Friday 20 May, 2011, to transact business will be required to pay extra for goods and services. Some fees and charges have gone up as high as 100 per cent. There are others that had little or no change. For instance, charges at Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) have seen some adjustment. Driver license application form F now sell for two cedis 50 pesewas from 20 pesewas. Change of ownership of vehicle has also gone up from 5 cedis to ten cedis, certificate to emboss blank number plate now cost 50 cedis from 10 cedis and accident report fee has moved up from one cedi to two cedis 50 pesewas. Also affected is Land title registration fees, registration fees for more than one acre will now cost 80 cedis from 50 cedis and more than one hundred acres will attract additional charge of 5 cedis instead of one cedi. Mortgage discharge has also moved from 10 cedis to 25 cedis Registration of births and deaths fees has also been revised. Registration of birth when the child is under 12 months remains free. However, that of a child between one and five is now ten cedis from 2 cedis and that of five years-late registration is now 20 cedis from 10 cedis. Exhumation and reburial will now cost 100 cedis from 60 cedis. Swearing of affidavit remains 5 cedis. The fees and charges for attending museums and monuments have all gone up. So has that of filling stations charges, hotelier as well as registration of offices, factories and shops. The increases are in line with 2009 Fees and Charges Act passed by Parliament which gave the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning the power to increase prices of service rendered by government agencies. The joint committees in Parliament- Subsidiary Legislation and Finance tasked with the responsibility to scrutinize the new law failed to do it. Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei told Joy News’ Sammy Darko the Finance Minister was not available for interrogation. He said the Finance Minister had to come and justify why the need for the upward revision, stating under Parliamentary convention a law is passed only after a report is brought before the House. On this particular law he said no such report has come from joint committee. The Chairman of Finance Committee, James Afedzi said the joint committee will not be able to make any changes to the new law once it has taken effect. He said the committee had 21 working days to review the instrument brought by the Finance Minister but was unable to. He said on the last meeting on Wednesday which the committee could have made recommendation, the minister and his deputy were not available. The instrument automatically becomes law after the 21 days have elapsed. Mr Afedzi said the proposed reviews are not too much for the general public to bear. Play the attached audio for excerpts of the interviews Source: Joy News/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana