Pepa: Pay normal fees

THE Western Highlands traffic registry is calling on people to pay the normal fees and to ensure they get an official receipt.
Revenue manager Thomas Pepa said traffic registry officers who charged higher rates were breaking the law and the registry would not tolerate “shady deals”.
Pepa was responding to allegations last week that there “shady transactions” at the registry office with some officers charging higher sums for licenses.
He denied any of the allegations, adding that people were aware of the new fees for licenses and if they were paying more, then they were doing it illegally.
He said there was a system in place and people were given receipts on payment as it was the policy that all transactions be receipted.
Pepa said the receipts were official government documents and officers, including the police, “can be charged if they tamper with them”.
Motorists in the province will be charged higher fees, effective Jan 1 as the previous fees, which were introduced in the 1980s, are not applicable today because of the rise in the cost of living.
The registry will charge K200 for 25-seater PMV operator’s licenses and K100 for 15-seaters. They used to cost K85.50 and K63.50 respectively.
Drivers’ licenses, renewing of licenses and renewals, which used to be K63, are now K100, while crew permit fees have doubled to K60.
Learner’s permits remain at K20.