THE Registrar General’s Department (RGD) is expected to rake in an estimated $15 million from the increases in service fees that were announced earlier this week.

But the $15 million represents half of what was estimated at the outset as the increases were applied some six months later than planned.

Speaking at a press briefing in Kingston on Monday, CEO of the RGD, Dr Patricia Holness said the entity was forced to hike the fees amid rising operating costs, despite savings of $9.6 million from cost-cutting measures implemented in the last fiscal year.

She said the fees had remained unchanged for a decade, notwithstanding economic shocks such as rising oil prices and inflation.

She said the adjustment in the fee for courier services, in particular, will affect almost all customers, but that the majority of the increases would affect only one per cent of the RGD’s customer base.

“We understand that there are some one per cent of persons who are not happy at this time and one per cent of a large number is still a large number. But we do have a shared vision with the Government to further improve Jamaica’s civil registration facility but this would not be possible unless we adjust our fees, we need to cover our costs,” Holness said, noting that the operations of the RGD, which has been functioning as a Type C executive agency, is no longer Government funded.

“We now have an expenditure analyst who examines every expense, but despite the savings experienced we continue to face rising costs. We have had to hold our vacancies and over 50 vacancies remain unfilled,” the RGD head disclosed.

Some of the services which customers have been paying more for since Monday, include the recording of deeds or other legal writings and genealogical research fees, which now attract an $850-per-hour fee. Customers are now expected to pay $100 for the courier service for each application. This is the first time, since the 2004 introduction of courier services, that customers are being asked to contribute a percentage of the cost.

In addition, each certificate or registration of a Building or Benefit Building Society attracts a $2,000 fee, not including stamp duty charges. The agency has also introduced a family calendar service for persons interested in highlighting, on a personal calendar, important family dates such as births, memorials and wedding anniversaries of all persons on the family tree. This service attract a fee of $1,000.

The new fee structure reflected an adjustment in services provided by the Island Record Office, an arm of the agency.