Transport Canada has released proposed regulations that would institute user fees for marine insurance certificates in accordance with the Service Fees Act. A new fixed fee of $98 would be added to the Marine Liability and Information Return Regulations (SOR/2016-307) for the two certificates being issued under the Marine Liability Act (MLA). A similar set of new regulations, the Wreck Removal Convention Certificate Fee Regulations, would be created for the certificate issued under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (WAHVA). The proposed regulations would cost Canadian vessel owners $1.48 million between 2020 and 2029, or an average annual cost of $148,000. It is expected that 2,788 certificates would be issued per year over the next 10 years. Of those, an estimated 2,147 are for Canadian-owned vessels and 641 are for foreign-owned vessels.
