FREDERICTON (CNB) – As part of the budgetary process for the 2012-13 fiscal year, user fees will be increased to raise nearly $ 6 million in additional revenue, Finance Minister Blaine Higgs announced today.

“Because of the large deficit our government inherited, a lot of hard work and many difficult choices must be made to return our province to balanced budgets,” Higgs said. “During pre-budget consultations over the past two years, increasing user fees has been proposed as one means of increasing needed revenue.”

User fees offset the costs of delivering non-core services to specific New Brunswick residents and businesses.

“We believe that this is a fair way to raise revenue,” Higgs said. “We are charging additional fees to those people who use these services.”

Some of the fee changes will take effect April 1, which gives New Brunswickers two months advance notice. Other fee increases will take effect in June or October. A complete list of the new fee increases, as well as a listing of previously announced fee increases that have taken effect over the past year, is available online.

LINK:

●    Department of Finance (Annual Report on Fees): www.gnb.ca/finance


01-02-12