THE HAGUE, 25/08/00 - The Cabinet intends to make passports slightly cheaper next year. The ministers concerned are currently discussing a plan for reducing the government fee by about 30 guilders.

Sources in The Hague say that this would represent a drop of about half the government fee. The reduction will officially be announced on Princes Day (budget day) on 20 September.

This fee only actually represents a small component of the price of the new Dutch passport. Passport prices vary considerably between local authorities. An inventory carried out in mid-May by the Dutch Association for Civilian Affairs showed that passports were cheapest in the municipality of Onderbanken, at 76 guilders. Arnhem, which charges 145 guilders for the same document, is the most expensive.