The government of Saskatchewan is putting out some changes when it comes to fees and charges as 2025 continues.
Their first change is utilizing The Fuel Tax Accountability Act, which ensures that the fuel tax is used properly to help maintain Saskatchewan's roads. As electric vehicles do not pay the fuel tax, Saskatchewan is upping the annual road use charge for these electric vehicles from $150 to $300.
The new rate will come into effect on June 1 and will continue to be collected by SGI when the electric vehicle is registered and will continue to be included in reporting under The Fuel Tax Accountability Act.
The province is also raising the cost for new hazardous substance and waste dangerous goods construction permits. That will cost a fee of $1,000 for any company looking to secure those permits on Saskatchewan worksites. These fees are expected to increase revenue by $41,500 for 2025-26, and $83,000 annually in subsequent years.
One fee is going down as the province is shifting how it charges mark-ups for wines. Those above 14.5 per cent Alcohol By Volume (ABV) are currently charged a higher mark-up than wines below. Beginning June 1, to create consistency in wine mark-ups, the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) will begin charging a single mark-up on all wines up to 16 per cent ABV.
As a result, wholesale prices of wines between 14.5 per cent and 16 per cent ABV will decrease. The change is expected to save retailers $226,000 in 2025-26.
A similar change will be coming to fruition for non-alcoholic beverages, as SLGA will begin applying a standardized mark-up across all non-alcoholic products they distribute on April 1. Wholesale prices for the majority of non-alcoholic products distributed by SLGA are expected to decrease, saving retailers $13,000 in 2025-26.
Saskatchewan will be increasing one penalty, allowing the SLGA to issue penalties of $25,000 against permittees and registrants that do not comply with the act, regulations or terms or conditions, up from $10,000.
Saskatchewan will also be raising fees related to their provincial parks, covering a wide range:
Increases to parks administrative fees is expected to increase revenue by $162,000 for 2025-26