Staff from the Department of Transport and Main Roads and the Queensland Police Service are to join with the Queensland Revenue Office’s State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) to collect fines and debts owed to the Government faster and without delay.
The move accompanies the introduction of new laws forming the State Penalties Enforcement (Modernisation) Amendment Bill, aimed at streamlining the payments to ensure taxpayers’ dollars are put to work as early as possible.
Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment, Cameron Dick said taxpayers expected that if someone owed them money, it should be paid back — “that’s what these changes are all about”.
“Bringing fines management staff from the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Police Service into the SPER team is an important efficiency measure already under way,” Mr Dick said.
“This is expected to bring forward repayments of more than $20 million in its first year and simplify the payment process for debtors, giving people who owe money to the SPER the best chance to pay their fine on time and avoid their debt escalating,” he said.
Mr Dick said the funds owed could be used on road upgrades, hospitals and schools as well as critical road safety, healthcare and emergency services.
“The proposed changes in this legislation will enable unpaid fines to be referred to the SPER within a shorter timeframe,” he said.
“When a fine isn’t paid by the due date, these new laws will help the SPER commence their debt collection activities sooner.”
For debtors who refused to pay significant debts, Mr Dick said the legislation would also support the cost of SPER enforcement activities involving the sale of seized property.
