Companion legislation setting out stringent penalties for breaches of the Employment Agencies Regulation Act and the Minimum Wage Act were passed in the House of Representatives, on Tuesday.

The legislative changes target agencies that fleece prospective employees of cash and employers who pay less than the minimum wage.

The principals of employment agencies who violate the provisions of the law could now face fines totalling one million dollars and a prison term not exceeding one year. Previously, the maximum fine for breaches was $400 with an additional $20 for continuing infractions.

Similar fines and penalties have also been introduced for employers who disregard the provisions of the Minimum Wage Act and pay their workers less than the recom-mended base rate. A maximum fine of one million dollars has been set for this offence.

Derrick Kellier, the Minister of Labour and Social Security, commenting on the Employment Agencies Regulation Act, told his parliamentary colleagues that the bill was not only designed to act as a deterrent to persons who flout the law, but was also intended to prevent employment agencies from becoming a vehicle for human trafficking.

"We are serious about ensuring that unregulated private employ-ment agencies do not become an avenue for human trafficking," he said.

While expressing support for the bill, Opposition spokesman on Labour, Ruddy Spencer, chided the Government for what he said was its slow reaction to the cries of Jamaicans who have been fleeced, over many years, by unscrupulous persons operating employment agencies.

He urged the Government to ensure that the employment agencies were properly monitored, noting that it would be useless if the laws were passed and the provisions continue to be ignored.