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Reese
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">GOVERNMENT HAS no plans to increase the cost of a passport at this time</div></div>.
<span style="font-weight: bold">However, foreigners applying for extended stays in the island, and those seeking to become citizens of Jamaica, might soon have to dig deeper to pay increased fees for the services </span>offered by the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Major Richard Reese told the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee of Parliament that <span style="font-weight: bold">the ministry had made a submission to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service for the current fees to be reviewed.</span>
"The proposal is not to increase the passport fee, the proposal is to increase all the other fees," Reese said.
The proposed increase in fees for citizenship and extended stays comes against the background of a sharp decline in revenue due to a fall-off in the sale of passports.
Reese said the proposed revised fees would address the shortfall in revenue arising from the reduction in the sale of passports.
However, the permanent secretary told the committee that, since the introduction of the CARICOM passport in Jamaica, earlier this month, there has been an upturn in the sale of passports.
<span style="font-style: italic">Commenting on applications for Jamaican citizenship, Reese said a task force had been assigned to clear a backlog dating back to 2006.</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">He said the processing of these applications would be completed within eight months.</span>
Meanwhile, plans are being made to relocate the PICA to downtown Kingston as a result of inadequate parking facility at its offices on Constant Spring Road, St Andrew. <span style="font-style: italic">The Firearm Licensing Authority is expected to move into the offices to be vacated by PICA.</span>
Another location is also being considered to house the authority on South Camp Road in Kingston.