Manama: A Bahraini lawmaker has called for adopting a system to alert people barred from leaving the country.
“It is extremely embarrassing for some people about to travel to find that their names are on the list of those who cannot leave the country,” MP Adel Al Assoomi said on Tuesday. “The travel ban is often linked to a trivial fine that has not been paid but that had been forgotten. So, the best thing is for the concerned authorities to alert people about the fines they have to pay to make sure that they are aware of them. They can for instance use short messages on mobiles to alert people,” he said as he was reviewing the ban issue with the justice minister at the weekly parliamentary session.
Dozens of people have been barred by the courts from leaving the country for failing to pay debts or financial dues.
The measure is used to ensure that defaulters cannot flee the country.
“We urge the business community to contribute to easing pressure on those who cannot afford to pay their debts if they are not large sums,” Al Assoomi said.
Bahrain has made impressive strides in the use of technology to facilitate government and financial transactions, offering a wide range of online services.
