The House of Assembly last night passed legislation allowing the Minister of Finance to waive government fees.

Bob Richards, the Minister of Finance, said the Government Fees Amendment Act allowed the waiving of fees under “exceptional circumstances”, such as in the wake of a hurricane.

He explained that the waiver process would be transparent, going through the negative resolution procedure.

David Burt, the Shadow Minister of Finance, said he had no issues with the legislation as tabled, but told the House that items which should have gone through the negative resolution procedure in the House had not.

“They are published online on Bermuda Laws, but they don’t get tabled in this House,” Mr Burt said. “It’s a problem and it needs to be fixed.”

Attorney-General Trevor Moniz responded that Mr Burt should approach him about any concerns, stating that the rule is that they must be brought to the House as soon as reasonably practical.

The House also approved the Government Authorities Fees Order, which adds the Insurance Appeals Tribunal to the list of government authorities, with Mr Richards saying it had not been included previously as a result of an oversight. No objections to the order were raised.