TORONTO—One of Ontario’s fiscal watchdogs says the province is overcharging for certain fees such as those for marriage and birth registrations, a situation that could leave it vulnerable to a legal challenge. In a report released Tuesday, the Financial Accountability Office says revenue from those fees as well as personal property security fees and incorporation fees “continues to significantly exceed program costs.”One of Ontario’s fiscal watchdogs says Ontario Premier Doug Ford and the province is overcharging for certain fees such as those for marriage and birth registration. Revenue from birth, marriage and death registration fees is projected to be 1.2 times the cost of the program. Overall, Ontario expects to generate $3 billion in revenue from service fees in 2018-19, up from $2.9 billion the previous year, the report says. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry eliminated three service fees in relation to fishing and hunting licences.

Source: thestar March 19, 2019 20:48 UTC