❓ Hon Adele Farina questions the Attorney General regarding the use of a private debt collection agency (Baycorp) for managing fines enforcement, including fees, payment structures, and amounts paid in 2014. The Attorney General provides detailed information on the contract and payments.
AnsweredQoN 2936Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Are the debts listed on the Fines Enforcement Registry managed by a non-government private debt collection business and, if so, what is the name of this business? (2) Does this business receive a fee for each fine managed and, if so, how much is the fee? (3) Who pays the fee in (2) in the event of a fine defaulter going to prison and not paying the fine? (4) How much money did the private debt collection business receive in fees paid by people listed on the Enforcement Registry in the 2014 calendar year? (5) Does the private debt collection business receive payment from Government other than fees imposed on fine defaulters and, if so, what amount did they receive in the 2014 calendar year?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
22 April 2015
Response time
28 days
(1)
The Fines Enforcement Registry (FER) manages the initial recovery of all registered unpaid fines and infringements. If FER is unsuccessful, the Registrar has the authority to issue enforcement warrants to the Sheriff of Western Australia. The Sheriff refers these warrants to a number of delegated parties throughout Western Australia for enforcement, including to a private debt recovery agency engaged through Contract 041222008 - Civil Enforcement, Fines Enforcement and the Delivery of Driver Licence Notices. This is a jointly tendered and managed contract between the Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Transport and is currently awarded to Baycorp (WA) Pty Ltd.
(2) Remuneration for the contractor consists of a base fee for the successful finalisation of a fine or infringement and commission payable for every dollar collected. The base fee is $27.50 within the metropolitan area and $55.00 in regional areas. The commission is 30% within the metropolitan area and 35% in regional areas.
(3) There is no fee payable to the contractor if the contractor does not successfully finalise or recover on an enforcement warrant.
(4) The contractor is remunerated by the Department of the Attorney General and does not apply or receive fees from debtors. In the 2014 calendar year the Department of the Attorney General paid Baycorp (WA) Pty Ltd $2,848,135 in base fees and commission.
(5) Baycorp (WA) Pty Ltd does not receive payment from government for fees imposed on fine defaulters. No other payments were made to Baycorp (WA) Pty Ltd with respect to the fines enforcement portfolio in the 2014 calendar year.
The Fines Enforcement Registry (FER) manages the initial recovery of all registered unpaid fines and infringements. If FER is unsuccessful, the Registrar has the authority to issue enforcement warrants to the Sheriff of Western Australia. The Sheriff refers these warrants to a number of delegated parties throughout Western Australia for enforcement, including to a private debt recovery agency engaged through Contract 041222008 - Civil Enforcement, Fines Enforcement and the Delivery of Driver Licence Notices. This is a jointly tendered and managed contract between the Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Transport and is currently awarded to Baycorp (WA) Pty Ltd.
(2) Remuneration for the contractor consists of a base fee for the successful finalisation of a fine or infringement and commission payable for every dollar collected. The base fee is $27.50 within the metropolitan area and $55.00 in regional areas. The commission is 30% within the metropolitan area and 35% in regional areas.
(3) There is no fee payable to the contractor if the contractor does not successfully finalise or recover on an enforcement warrant.
(4) The contractor is remunerated by the Department of the Attorney General and does not apply or receive fees from debtors. In the 2014 calendar year the Department of the Attorney General paid Baycorp (WA) Pty Ltd $2,848,135 in base fees and commission.
(5) Baycorp (WA) Pty Ltd does not receive payment from government for fees imposed on fine defaulters. No other payments were made to Baycorp (WA) Pty Ltd with respect to the fines enforcement portfolio in the 2014 calendar year.
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