The Debt Enforcement Officer has had to issue 360,000 forced demands for debt, according to calculations from the Police Directorate. This is twice as many as ten years ago.
The online news E24 writes that the increased growth in the use of consumer banks/loans during recent years has also contributed to other consequences, such as more and more people are falling into debt.
The overall consumer debt in Norway is now expected to be around NOK 90 billion, and much of this debt will now have to be by forced demands from the Debt Enforcement Officer.
– When debt collection agencies give up waiting for people to pay voluntarily, they have to get assistance from the Debt Enforcement Officer to recover the funds.
The Enforcement Officer can then secure the debt against the person’s home(s), car(s) or other objects. We also can require automatic deductions from wages and social benefits, says Alexander Dey, Enforcement Officer in Oslo, to E24.
He feels much of the problem lies in that credit card and consumer loans are easily obtainable and many are given credit to the extent that they are unable to re-pay the debt.
Stavanger has had the strongest growth in recent years, since the city known as “The Oil City” has felt the consequences of the decline in the oil industry and the resulting unemployment.
– There are people who had full control of their own economy, but are now suffering financial problems, says Stavanger’s Enforcement Officer Aud Ruthi Andersen.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
