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alexk
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Used car dealers believe a new proposed system to be used by the Licensing Office to electronically issue vehicle registration numbers at random is a recipe for corruption.
This is the view of head of the T&T Automotive Dealers Association Visham Babwah, who told the T&T Guardian yesterday that his members are worried that the computerized system may be hijacked by corrupt officials who may be seeking special numbers for individuals who are willing to cough up enough cash to get such plates.
“Instead of a few numbers being hijacked like in the past, the whole series would be hijacked and persons would have to take what they get,” Babwah complained.
He instead suggested an auction system where numbers can be sold and the government can collect revenue.
Contacted yesterday on the issue, however, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan assured that this was not so.
Sinanan said the system was put in place to eliminate people manipulating the system as numbers would be totally computer generated.
Director of the Legal Services Unit the Ministry of Works and Transport Marvin Gonzales also defended the new procedure.
“The system is completely automated, the numbers are going to be generated by computer software that does not require any human interface or intervention. In that regard, the possibility of manipulation is completely eradicated.”
Gonzales said the system should be in effect this week.
Gonzales added, “Because it is automated, the issue of requesting special numbers will no longer apply. That is so because of the drive at the ministry to eradicate corrupt practices because it has been drawn to the ministry’s attention that persons were paying monies to access specialised numbers at the Licensing authorities.”