Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, at the outset I wish to inform the House Road Traffic Act was amended in September 2019 through the Road Traffic (Amendment No. 3), Act No. 24 of 2019 with a view to facilitating the electronic payment of fixed penalty notices. It was also announced in the Budget Speech 2022/2023 of the then hon. Minister of Finance that the payment of road traffic fines would be offered online. However, the Road Traffic (Amendment No. 3) of 2019 was not proclaimed as enhancement of both IT system of the Police Department and the Master and Registrar of the Supreme Court was in progress. In fact, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in his report for the financial year 2024/2025, the Director of Audit has observed that the revenue from fixed penalty notices served by the police officers were collected at District Courts and credited as fines under the control of the Judiciary instead of a revenue item for the Mauritius Police Force. Therefore, the Director of Audit recommended to digitalise the whole process of raising fines and payment of same. The reform is expected to enhance efficiency, transparency and proper revenue tracking. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as regard of the main question, I have been informed that in February this year by the Master and Registrar of the Supreme Court that the system for online payment of fixed penalty notices on the Supreme Court portal is technically ready to accept online payment of fixed penalty notices through mobile banking apps, Internet banking facilities, debit and credit cards or MauCAS account transfers. The Police Department has also informed that their IT system is ready. They are proposing in parallel to look into the possibility to use the beSafeMoris mobile app for payment of fixed penalty notices – hon. Dr. Ramtohul is aware of what I am saying. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am further informed by the Commissioner of Police that the amendments brought to the Road Traffic Act of 2019 are not fully aligned with those introduced by the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act of 2025 in January this year in relation to the reintroduction of the Penalty Point System. Therefore, Commissioner of Police has recommended that a new piece of legislation be enacted to make provision for online payment of fixed penalty notices in line with the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act of 2025. My Ministry has initiated consultations with the hon. Attorney General’s Office in that respect.

Yes. Do you have a question?

I have a question. I wanted to ask the hon. Minister, whether he would consider amending the law to allow for the payment of fixed penalty beyond the 28 days limit as it is now, impossible after 28 days which means that you have to go to Court and that only burdens the Court with even more work, when it could be and that is the question, whether the hon. Minister would consider allowing for payment after even with a penalty system imposed for a higher amount to be paid so long as you get to do it before it is fixed on cause list of the Court, it would be, I think, in the interest of your Ministry and justice itself?

As the law stands, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, if the 28 days period are exceeded, the fines and the points are both doubled – as per the amendment brought in December last year. So, there will have to be amendment to the Road Traffic Act once again for that to occur.

If I may, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir?

Yes, yes.

I understand but the issue is once you fail to pay within the 28 days, you have to go to Court. You have to wait for the notice to be issued to you, the summons after months, sometimes years and you cannot pay even though, for whatever reasons you may have neglected to pay within the 28 days. So, as far as the payment is concerned, whether he proposes now, especially for those offences which do not fall under the Penalty Point System, whether he proposes to bring amendments, so to allowed that we can pay at any time even if there is the introduction of a penalty as I said so long as you can do it.

We will look into it.

Thank you. Hon. Members with the Table has been advised that the following PQs have been withdrawn: B/446, B/449, B/454, B/455, B/456, B/460, B/464, B/465, B/468, B/469, B/472, B/475, B/476, B477, B/478, B/480, B/481, B/482, B/483 B/484, and B/486. Time is over!