COPENHAGEN, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Slow progress in implementing the new debt recovery system has delayed the recovery of debt owed to the state by the public, said a report by Rigsrevisionen, Denmark's Office of the Auditor General, released here on Thursday.
As a consequence, approximately 800 claimants, including institutions and public authorities (the Tax Agency, and the municipalities, are not receiving the money they are owed, the report said.
In September 2018, Rigsrevisionen took the initiative to investigate the situation and to clarify whether the Ministry of Taxation has done enough to ensure progress in developing the Public Sector Revenue Management (PSRM) system.
The consequence of the lack of progress is that there is a risk that this will continue well into 2020 and that the ministry will thus only be able to recover debt for all creditors through the PSRM by the end of 2020 or later.
According to the new Minister for Taxation, Morten Boedskov, part of the problem can be attributed to the shortage of money for the tax recovery plan.
Almost one million Danish citizens currently owe money to the state. The amount owed rose from 16 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 to 17.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2018.
The types of debt incurred that need to be recovered from the public include unwarranted cash assistance to unpaid daycare fees, parking fines, TV licenses, and fines for trains and buses.
