Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee authorizes a bill that would take a hard line against those who do not pay fines to the state.
By LAHAV HARKOVknesset(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
The Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee authorized on Monday a bill that would take a hard line against those who do not pay fines to the state.The Center for Fine Collections will be able to suspend the driver’s license of anyone who owes over NIS 5000 to the state, confiscate passports and stop people from leaving the country, if the law passes in its second and third (final) readings.If a person owes money to someone he or she harmed while committing a crime, these punishments will apply to fines of NIS 2000 or higher.According to the Center for Fine Collections, 30,000 people owe over NIS 5000 to the state. Collectively, their debt is over NIS one billion, before interest.
“We have been hearing people ask in recent weeks ‘where will the money to solve the housing crisis come from?’” committee chairman David Rotem (Israel Beiteinu) said.“Collecting these fines, including relatively high sums, is an important source of funding for the state, which will increase its financial capabilities.”Rotem also emphasized the importance of collecting funds from those who are meant to pay damages to those they harmed in committing a crime.“Not only did they hurt that person, but they are trying to avoid compensating them,” he said.
