OREANDA-NEWS. October 16, 2009. Toomas Varek, chairman of state budget control committee in the Estonian parliament, said that the electronic information system of the Estonian Tax Board that will be fully geared from January 2010 will make the collection of tax arrears considerably more effective.

"If today the portfolio of debts is 6.1 billion kroons (EUR 390 mln) plus interest then by the introduction of the operative information technology method they (the Tax Board) will be able to contract the tax arrears by one billion kroons," Varek said.

He admitted that the system certainly had its time of getting adapted to but the human factor would not be able to keep in check 2,400 persons owing arrears. "It was said today that one worker has 2,400 persons owing arrears; this is not possible, but it is possible by the e-systemn."

Varek said that when the e-system is applied one official will certainly have fewer persons with arrears to deal with and it will be possible for the official to devote more time to so-to-say extreme debtors. For example, closure of accounts and information will start functioning automatically.

The State Audit Office said at the beginning of October that in its opinion the collection of arreas by the Tax and Customs Board should be made more effective.

The director general of the Tax Board agreed with the assessment given in the audit that last year it was not effective in the collection of taxes, but did not agree that this would have continued also this year.