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Collection agency
collects contract
The collection of ‘unrecovered’ fines and penalties owing to the Courts Administration Authority is to be outsourced to a private company.
Attorney-General, John Rau said the collections agency Dun & Bradstreet had been awarded a 12-month contract for a pilot program and would focus on locating people responsible for about $47 million in long-term outstanding fines and penalties which had so far proven “unrecoverable”.
Mr Rau warned that while the overdue debtors had so far eluded the Fines Payment Unit of the CAA, Dun & Bradstreet was confident that a significant amount of money would be recovered.
| Fine collection outsourced |
“This contract represents the start of a new era in Government debt collection in South Australia,” Mr Rau said.
“Dun & Bradstreet has an excellent record in debt collection and its first priority will be to immediately track down people who have disappeared from official view to avoid paying their fines.”
He said people who thought they could get away with dodging their debt to the South Australian community were about to receive a shock.
“Private sector debt collectors have the time, experience and tools to help us make life very difficult for those who see paying a fine as an option, rather than an obligation,” he said.
Mr Rau said Dun & Bradstreet would be paid a commission on fines collected, meaning there would be no up-front cost to the Government.
“Proposals for fine collection reform are being finalised following a review last year which considered a comprehensive range of issues, including whether the management of fines payments should be removed from the courts,” he said.
Edition 150, 26 January 2012
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