Press Releases
2006
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Press Notice No: 321-06
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Posted 10:25 GMT
MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN ITS FEES STRUCTURE
Following earlier consultation with industry and other interested parties, and following approval by Ministers, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency today announced changes in its fees structure. The new charges will come into force from the 11th September 2006.
The main revisions to the fee rates are:
- An increase in the marine survey fees (including hovercraft surveys).
- An increase in the medical examination fee for medical fitness
- An increase in fees for Boatmasters Licences.
- A decrease in the fee for revalidation of a Certificate of Competency
There are also decreases to ship registration fees and for registration of mortgages.
New fees being introduced this year include:
- Fees for the issue of Vessel Traffic Services Certification Logbook; Yacht / Watch Rating Certificate, and examination for a Compass Adjusters Certificate.
- The introduction of premium service fees for an over-the-counter registration service provided at the Registry of Shipping and Seamen
John Astbury, Chief Executive of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency said:
The survey hourly rate and many of the examination & certification fees were last revised in September 2004 whilst ship registration fees were last revised in April 2003.
As a Government Agency, the MCA has an obligation to comply with HM Treasurys Fees and Charges Guide with regard to all statutory fees charged. The Guide states that fees should be reviewed annually and should ensure full cost recovery for the delivery of each service (i.e. the MCA should neither make a profit nor a loss from fees charged). All of the following fee proposals have therefore been costed to ensure compliance with HM Treasurys guidelines.
The MCA is committed to improving services and seeks ways that this maybe done.Through streamlining process and applying new technology we have been able to cut down on the time taken to process applications. This has enabled delivery of speedier services and cost efficiencies for our customers. The benefits from these cost savings have been passed onto the customer through decreases to certain fees and where fee increases are unavoidable the level of the rise has been less than it would otherwise had been under previous processes.
Note to Editors
- The MCA began its consultation period on the 6th March 2006 and allowed 12 weeks for the process to take place. Over 300 organisations were contacted for their views. The MCA also held discussions with NUMAST, the Chamber of Shipping, and British Fishing Federations.
- The full list of revised fees for surveys, exams, and registrations is tabulated and can be found on the MCA website within Guidance and Regulations / Consultations or click on http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/consultations-annexes.htm
Posted By: Sophie Turner
For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office
023 8032 9401
