Jamaica gov't to increase marriage licence fees

Justice Minister of Jamaica Delroy Chuck has announced plans to increase the $4,000 fee charged for marriage licences, which are issued largely to foreigners, suggesting that it makes Jamaica look like a “banana republic.”

However, Chuck said the increase will not affect Jamaicans who opt to engage a Minister of Religion to conduct their nuptials.

The Justice Ministry says since the start of the year, close to 5,000 marriage licences have been issued mainly to tourists desirous of tying the knot in Jamaica.

“When a tourist comes here and is asked to pay US$35 for a marriage licence he really wonders what kind of banana republic...that you only charge US$35,” Chuck said during a press conference at his St Andrew ministry.

He indicated that the government is looking at the rates charged in other countries as it explores the issue to determine the level of increase to impose.

“What we would like to do is to look how much they charge for a marriage licence in Canada, the US, and the UK and charge them a similar amount, which I’m sure is in excess of US$100,” Chuck said.

“We don’t want it to be a burden. We want people to get married. But it has to be a reasonable fee because it really costs us a fair amount to process these marriage licences,” the justice minister added.

The marriage licence fees were last increased in 2008, the ministry said.

In the meantime, the minister signed a contract for more than $50 million, prior to the briefing, for the re-establishment of the Kingston and St Andrew Family Court attendance centre, at the corner of East and Beeston streets in downtown Kingston. The contractor is Contracts Enterprise Limited.

The centre, which was located on Duke Street, was destroyed by fire in December 2015.

Permanent secretary in the ministry, Carol Palmer, said the work is already under way and that the centre is scheduled for opening in January.

“Our children who depend on the resocialisation services of this entity have been, on and off, trying to get their education going,” she said.

The centre is a non-residential rehabilitation facility for people 12 to 18 years old, who have dropped out of the formal education system and are being assisted in a rehabilitation process. It also assists with effecting some of the orders of the Family Court.