A bill has been introduced seeking to provide Pristine Paradise Environmental (PPE) fee refund to individuals adopted at an early age by Palauans families.
Currently $100 PPE fee that is charged to every individual arriving in Palau is refunded to people of five categories. This includes Palauan citizens and spouses of Palauan citizens, pilots and other crew members of aircraft operating as common carries, diplomats and transit passengers.
The revenue generated from this fee is allocated in various amounts to the Fisheries Trust Fund, the individual states, and the National Treasury to support a wide range of initiatives.
Legislative findings reads, “Olbill Era Kelulau finds that individuals who have been adopted at a young age into Palauan families also deserve a refund.”
However, OEK has put a condition that only the individuals adopted before the age of 3 shall be liable to refund if the bill becomes a law.
The suggested amendment to the existing law about refund of PPE fee law reads, “An individual who was legally or customarily adopted before the age of three by one or more Palauan citizens.”
It further requires an individual to present a copy of the adoption decree issued by a court of the Republic Palau. If an adoption has taken place on a foreign soil, an individual is required to present a copy of adoption decree issued by a court of competent jurisdiction in that foreign country. (By Eshan Kalyanikar)