[NA-Discuss] 13 January 2009 Board Finance Committee Minutes

[Danny Younger]

http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/minutes-bfc-13jan09.htm 

excerpts:

Reviewed comments from community on financial considerations of the new gTLD applicant guidebook (RFP) and responses 

General theme of financial-related comments was a desire to lower the evaluation fee and annual registry fee 

Proposed staff response is to recognize the complexity of the evaluation process and to take a very conservative approach for the first round of applications, with a review of the fees for the second round.  

Staff recommend to hold steady on the US$185k evaluation fee.  In relation to the annual registry fees, staff suggests that, if a standard contract is agreed, the recurring annual registry fees can be lowered to $25k plus $0.25 per transaction if over 50k transactions per annum.
 
Majority of committee in favor of proposed staff approach, but Raimundo Beca disagrees – thinks that the evaluation fee should be reduced to exclude recovery of historical costs, and that the evaluation fees should be collected on a pay as you go basis instead of an up-front with refunds available basis