Last week, the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) announced adjustments to the prices of some of its services and the addition of some new offerings. The following information highlights these new developments and answers some of your questions surrounding the changes.

Why was it necessary to increase passport fees?

The agency needs to be in a position to recoup its operational expenses if it is to meet the objective of being self-sufficient and off the government's purse very soon. An increase is therefore necessary, owing to the fact that the cost of a passport has not been increased since 2001 and the level of inflation has increased by more than 127 per cent since the last price adjustment.

What new fees have been introduced?

As of Monday, November 16, the price for an adult passport was increased to $4,500, up from $2,500 and passports for minors (under 18 years) were increased to $2,700, up from $1,500.

The agency has also introduced the following expedited services which will attract non-refundable processing-fees specified below:

Next-day service:

Passports - $2,500 adults and $1,500 minors

Three-day service:

Passports - $1,500 (adults) and $1,000 (minors)

The adjustment in prices will apply to local applications only.

Are you capable of meeting the request for next-day services?

Yes, we have no doubt that we can. We have put certain systems in place to ensure that we deliver on this service to our customers.

Will the expedited services be available outside Kingston?

No, the new services will only be available in Kingston

Will there still be a long waiting period under the tent?

We are making preparations to relocate as we are aware of the discomfort experienced by our clients. Until then, we would like to advise clients to take advantage of the slow season (August-November), when the number of persons conducting business at our offices is relatively small. In addition, we would also invite the public to utilise the mobile passport service, if and when it is available in their community or organisation.

Is the public expected to see an improvement in services?

Yes. In fact, the introduction of expedited services - next day and three day - is aimed at adding value to the services we offer at PICA. This will be particularly helpful to applicants in emergency situations.

In addition, PICA has introduced a mobile passport service. Here we visit various communities or institutions on weekdays or weekends and accept applications for processing. Thus far, the initiative has been successful, with the public requesting more visits. Since August, we have served four communities and three institutions. Plans are in place to service both urban and rural locales.

The public can also look forward to an upgraded PICA website that will provide detailed information on all passport, immigration and citizenship services offered by the agency.

Why is it necessary to have a replacement fee?

The replacement of a passport involves various administrative processes. The additional fee will help us recover the cost of these services. Also, it is our hope that the increased fee will encourage persons to take greater care of their passport as it is a high-security document issued by the government of Jamaica.

PICA Corner is a collaboration between The Gleaner and the Passport, Immigration and Citizenhip Agency (PICA). Send questions, comments and suggestions to editor@gleanerjm.com and the PICA will respond.