Remission of Canada Gazette CPI Fee Increases

Summary#

This order — the Adjustment of Certain Fees in Respect of Publication in the Canada Gazette for the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 Fiscal Years Remission Order — cancels small, overdue fee increases that should have been added to Canada Gazette insertion fees. It remits $3,181.38 for 2019–2020 and $4,488.69 for 2020–2021 because charging those amounts now would be unreasonable. The order was approved on March 1, 2024 and published on March 13, 2024.

What it does#

• Remits (forgives) the unpaid annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases that were not charged to external clients for Canada Gazette insertions:
  • $3,181.38 for 2019–2020.
  • $4,488.69 for 2020–2021.
• Does this under the authorities of the Financial Administration Act because collecting the small amounts now would be impractical.
• Explains the background: Public Services and Procurement Canada did not apply the automatic CPI increases required by the Service Fees Act for those two years because revenues were sufficient and the obligation was not recognized at the time.
• Notes that the Canada Gazette has applied the CPI increase since 2021–2022 and that steps have been taken to prevent the problem from happening again.

Who's affected#

• External clients who pay to publish in the Canada Gazette — for example, law firms, banks and insurance companies, and some other non-schedule government organizations.
• These external clients represent about 3.4% of the Canada Gazette’s revenue, so the amounts are small relative to overall operations.
• Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Canada Gazette program are affected administratively (they will not collect these past fees and have adjusted their processes).

Why it matters#

• In practical terms, affected external clients will not be billed for these small past increases. That avoids administrative work and possible damaged relationships over minor sums.
• The government judged that chasing these amounts would cost more in time and resources than the money is worth.
• The order shows an internal correction: the Canada Gazette will follow the Service Fees Act going forward, so similar oversights are less likely in future.