Canadian Coast Guard
Marine Services Fees Information Bulletin

Number Twenty-Four
March, 2009

[ PDF: 50Kb ]

This bulletin is provided to inform the marine community on developments affecting the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) Marine Services Fees (MSF). Comments on information contained in this Bulletin should be directed to the Cost Recovery Program of the CCG. Contact information for the Cost Recovery Program is available at the end of this Bulletin and on the CCG website. Current and previous editions of the MSF Bulletin are also posted on the website at: www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/Marine_Service_Fees

Future editions of the lnformation Bulletin will only be available by e-mail and on the CCG website. A web-based subscription link will soon be available on the CCG website at: www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/Marine_Service_Fees

Connect Online with Updates on the MSF

Paper copies of MSF Bulletins are currently mailed to the marine community. These same Bulletins can also be found on our CCG website at: www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/Marine_Service_Fees

Delivery of the Bulletin by traditional mail will soon no longer be available. To ensure you are kept aware of the latest developments with the MSF, please continue to check the CCG website for the most recent MSF Bulletin. An automatic e-mail subscription service for the MSF Bulletin will soon be available at this address: www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/Marine_Service_Fees

MSF lnformation on the CCG Website

The MSF website provides information on key elements of the MSF, including the Marine Navigation Services Fee and Icebreaking Services Fee Schedules, as well as Frequently Asked Questions. We will be updating the website on a regular basis to ensure it continues to provide useful information to MSF clients and stakeholders.

2008 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada

In the 2008 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 1 examined the management of fees in selected departments and agencies, including CCG's Marine Navigation Services Fee. In particular, the Auditor General looked at how CCG established the cost of the service and determined the amount to be charged for the fee. The Auditor General also looked at how CCG measures, monitors, and reports on the performance of fee-related activities. In the recommendation applicable to CCG, the Auditor General asked that the reliability of the information used to allocate costs to the Marine Navigation Services Fee be improved. CCG has accepted the Auditor General's recommendation and has committed to assessing the actions needed to improve the reliability of the information. We invite you to read the Report in its entirety, which is located at: www.oag-pbvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200805_e_30714.html.

Billing and Collection Services

Many client questions go beyond what we are able to publish on the CCG website, although most are related to specific billing and collection issues. We want to remind you that the most helpful first point of contact for this type of question will be the MSF Billing and Collection group (Eastern Canada), or Thunder Bay Airport Services Inc. (Western Canada) who can be reached at the following coordinates.

Billing and Collection Contact Information

Eastern Canada

Marine Services Fees Billing, Collection & Compliance
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
240 Bank Street, 3rd Floor
Ottawa, ON KIA OE6

Toll free phone line: 1-800-563-6295
Fax: 613-990-4338
Email: Danny.Napier@dfo-mpo.nc.ca

Western Canada

Thunder Bay Airport Services Inc.
Attn: Kimberly Otway
Suite 340-100 Princess Street
Thunder Bay, ON P7E 6S2

Telephone: 807-473-2611
Fax: 807-475-9627
Email: kotway@tbairport.on.ca

MSF Oversight

The Cost Recovery group of CCG is responsible for all oversight of MSF unrelated to billing and collection, including the policy and legal foundation for the fees, client engagement, and periodic review of the fees.

Client Engagement

Commercial client engagement on a host of issues of shared interest to CCG and the marine community already occurs in established ways, such as through Regional Marine Advisory Boards, which inform the overarching National Marine Advisory Board (NMAB).

The objective of NMAB is to serve as an advisory council for the CCG Commissioner, and may take into account any CCG services provided to external clients and stakeholders.

Specific stakeholder engagement on MSF also takes place between the commercial marine industry and CCG, as represented by the Cost Recovery group. This is accomplished through regular meetings and teleconferences with national and international commercial marine industry representatives, to discuss MSF issues of broad interest and application to the commercial marine industry. To supplement this, the Cost Recovery group also meets with individual ship owners and operators, upon request and as required, to address companyspecific MSF issues.

Independent Fee Review and Economic Impact Assessment

There is an expectation on the part of the federal government and clients that user fees will be managed in a way that allows for client complaints, if necessary, to be addressed and reviewed in a formal manner

Over time, the Department has developed processes and principles to guide its approach in addressing MSF complaints. These are reinforced by guidelines set out in the federal government Policy on Senlice Standards for External Fees, and in the federal User Fees Act. While this Act applies to new user fees, or previously existing user fees that are being increased or whose scope is being expanded, it is also instructive for the ongoing management of the MSF.

For example, the two MSF dispute mechanisms that follow the approach of the User Fees Act for addressing unresolved complaints are (1) an independent fee review, or (2) an economic impact assessment.

In general, MSF complaints that may require an independent fee review would deal primarily with the application of the fee to specific clients, and would be overseen by a neutral third party. In this sense, an independent fee review is a dispute resolution mechanism that may be invoked by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans when agreement cannot be reached on MSF application as governed by the MSF schedules, and when all other steps taken within Fisheries and Oceans Canada and CCG have been made.

Alternatively, individual clients may approach the CCG Cost Recovery group to seek an economic impact assessment, which could result in some level of fee relief should it be concluded that either the Marine Navigation Services Fee or the lcebreaking Services Fee places undue financial hardship on a client. The circumstances that would warrant an economic impact assessment and the criteria that would constitute undue financial hardship are determined on a case by case basis. In making this determination, CCG would require that the client submit comprehensive audited financial statements and any other information deemed relevant. All economic impact assessments will be undertaken by CCG and submitted to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans for consideration.

All inquiries related to independent fee reviews or economic impact assessments should be directed to the Cost Recovery Program of CCG at the coordinates listed below.

For more information related to this Bulletin, contact:

Cost Recovery, Maritime Services, Canadian Coast Guard
Stn. 5S014, 200 Kent Street
Ottawa ON, KIA OE6

Telephone: 613-990-1539
Fax: 613-998-3255
Marine Services Fees Toll Free Telephone: 800-563-6295
Email: MSFinfo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Internet Site: www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/Marine_Services_Fees