28 billion SEK. That big a portion of debts receivable by CSN are deemed uncertain today. Now, the Swedish National Audit Office want to see greater efforts from CSN to reclaim the debts.
The grand total equals 14% of the complete debts receivable by CSN, according to a report issued by the Swedish National Audit Office (SNAO). Most of the uncertain claims are held by people who are not able to pay, due to sickness. But those are not the only debtors.
A whopping 8.3 billion SEK are due to irresponsible payments by debt-holders – half of which live abroad. This was reported by the news bureau the Swedish Central News Agency. In 2015, debt-holders living abroad paid 70% of their study debts. The percentage of payment from debt-holders living in Sweden was 94%.
“More can be done”
This kind of negligence could also be the reason why CSN reported a credit loss of 520 million SEK in 2015, even though the financial aid should do without economic support from the main authority. Apart from that, another 1.2 billion SEK has been earmarked for expected losses in the future.
Now, CSN get a scolding for not having done enough to collect the debts from those evading payment.
“The government and CSN can do more to increase the repayments of student debts,” says Susanne Ackum, Auditor General.
Agreement in pipe-line
In their report, the SNAO suggest that CSN should work more actively with preventive measures regarding those who are close to evading payment. Furthermore, SNAO want the government to arrive at more international agreements, to make the collecting of debts easier.
The demands of the SNAO might soon be met. Minister of Education and Research, Aida Hadzialic, states in an interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen that new international agreements are on the way – with countries such as the USA, Finland and France.
“CSN are currently trying to arrive at agreements with bigger countries, where our students reside at the moment, so as to ascertain, in collaboration with these other countries, that everyone pay what is due,” says Aida Hadzialic to Expressen and calls the current situation “stealing from the people”:
“Obviously, it is outrageous that things are this way. CSN are no charity.”
Translation: Richard Helander
