Unpaid dues soar in October

The suspension of tax obligations will not suffice to reverse the negative sentiment in the economy, recorded also in the tax authorities' statistics: Within just one month, expired debts to the state grew 1 billion euros, which calls to mind the decade of the bailout program, when every year saw the creation of €12-13 billion in new debts.

According to the figures of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue for October, debts to the state increased by €1.04 billion, reaching a total of €4.94 billion for the first 10 months of the year.

The sheer number of new tax debtors is also staggering, as in just one month they increased by about 500,000, reaching 4.3 million, against 3.8 million at end-September.

This development is of particular concern for the Finance Ministry, which is seeking solutions to the problems created by the pandemic. Although the...