Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., November 05, 2009 Cheshvan 18, 5770 | | Israel Time: 02:24 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books
Share |
Interior Ministry to lower fee for reissuing lost or stolen passports
By Rina Rozenberg

The Interior Ministry announced yesterday that it intends to cut the fee for reissuing passports after loss or theft - from NIS 1,000 to NIS 750. The new ordinance is being prepared for approval by the ministry's ordinance committee, following a High Court of Justice decision handed down three weeks ago.

Under Interior Ministry ordinances that came into effect in January 2009, the fee for reissuing a passport in the event of loss, theft or damage was raised from NIS 400 to NIS 1,000, while the fee for issuing a brand new passport is just NIS 250. The move immediately led to a response from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, who appealed to the High Court just three months later.
Advertisement

The ministry says that the increase in the fee had been an effective measure, leading to a 30 percent decline in the number of passports reported lost or stolen. The ACRI, however, argued that the larger fee was aimed at punishing citizens. The ministry denied the allegation, stating that the substantial difference between the fee for reissuing a lost or stolen passport and the fee for issuing a new one is due to the higher cost for reviewing and handling the former. The High Court, however, didn't see it that way. The court found that the fee does indeed constitute a fine which the Interior Ministry is not authorized to levy, and recommended that the ministry consider cancelling the fine or replacing it with a reasonable, lower fee which reflects the cost of the service involved in handling such cases.
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Preparing for war
MI chief: Hamas tries weapon that can reach Tel Aviv; public must prepare for Gaza strike.
Weapons ship seized
Israel Navy seizes Hezbollah bound ship carrying tons of weapons from Iran.
Special Offers
Advertisement
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Date Local Jewish Singles
Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
More Headlines
00:21 Israel instructs its diplomats: Use seized arms ship to direct pressure to Iran
22:39 WATCH: Video of Israel Navy commandeering arms ship
00:22 ANALYSIS / Arms ship seizure just another battle in the secret war with Iran
00:23 UN assembly set to call for probes of Gaza war
18:41 Erekat: Palestinians may have to abandon goal of independent state
22:38 Hezbollah snubs Arabic version of Anne Frank's diary
17:25 Students hurl eggs at Israeli ambassador's car in Turkey
01:23 TV ROUND-UP: Israel Navy seizes ship carrying hundreds of tons of arms from Iran to Syria
22:52 Israel's UN ambassador: Goldstone report was born of hate, executed in sin
16:04 Leftist Jews to Israel: Stop villifying Goldstone
15:44 Netanyahu: Palestinian elections complicate relaunch of peace talks
16:28 Clinton: Settlements are illegitimate, should be halted forever
14:35 WATCH: Iran police clash with thousands of anti-Ahmadinejad protesters
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved