DELIBERATIONS on the Proceeds of Crime Bill will resume in the Houses of Parliament in September, with the aim of passing the legislation by the end of the year, according to the security minister, Peter Phillips.

“.I hope that the government and the opposition can have this Bill passed through all stages of the House in the course of this year,” Dr Phillips told reporters at a recent press briefing.

“.I would hope that before we come to the end of this calendar year, we can have the Bill passed into law,” the security minister added.

The passage of the legislation, he said, would put a dent in crime, as it will hurt the criminal elite where it matters most – in their pockets.

He said, too, that the Bill would give the state the ability to utilise resources in the fight against crime, “thus giving efficacy to the maxim that crime does not pay”.

The Proceeds of Crime Act would serve to bring, within the ambit of possible forfeiture through the courts, all properties and accumulated wealth, which cannot be explained by legitimate activity, and comes as part of efforts to fight organised crime and to ensure that persons engaged in criminal activities do not profit from their illegal activities.