Joint Committee Meeting Discusses General Amnesty Bill for Bounced Checks
The committees on general legislation, internal regulations, parliamentary laws, electoral laws, and electoral function of the People's Representatives Assembly (ARP) held a joint meeting at the Bardo Palace on Friday to examine the proposed bill on general amnesty for bounced checks. During the meeting, representatives from the Ministry of Justice were heard and expressed reservations about the proposal, citing the creation of two legal regimes for an identical situation.
According to an official parliamentary statement, the Ministry of Justice representatives explained that Law No. 2024-41, which amends and completes certain provisions of the Commercial Code, was designed with a global perspective to preserve the interests of all parties and to sanitize financial transactions by check. They emphasized that the general amnesty for bounced checks of an amount equal to or less than 5,000 dinars would create a legal inconsistency and would not sufficiently guarantee the rights of creditors, contrary to the provisions of Decree No. 2022-10.
Several deputies, intervening during the meeting, suggested that the proposed bill could be improved by adding guarantees to better protect the rights of creditors, while aligning with the objectives of Law No. 2024-41, such as sanitizing the economy, combating inflation, and reducing pressure on the judicial system. Others proposed strengthening the role of the promissory note by giving it executive value, with the aim of limiting the use of checks.
The deputies also raised difficulties related to the application of Law No. 2024-41, including the lack of commitment from banking institutions in implementing certain provisions, such as setting differentiated ceilings for checkbooks and reducing interest rates for ongoing loan repayments. They also denounced the non-respect of tariff fees by some notaries when drafting conciliation agreements.
Finally, the deputies stressed the importance of harmonizing judicial procedures, particularly with regard to prescription deadlines, and called for enhanced collaboration between the legislative, executive, and judicial powers to ensure effective implementation of laws.
Presented by 45 deputies from various parliamentary groups, this three-article bill was referred back to the relevant committees on February 13, with a request for urgent examination.
