Primorsky Krai Enforcement Officers Impose Foreign Travel Ban on Persistent Non-Payers

VLADIVOSTOK. December 7. VOSTOK-MEDIA – As the New Year’s holidays are approaching, many residents of Primorsky Krai buy travel packages abroad in the hope of having glorious holidays outside of the Russian Federation. However, for many of those willing to spend their winter holidays in a foreign country the border will be kept under lock.

The reason lying behind the imposition of a ban on crossing the border is unsettled debts. For the 10 months of 2009 alone, Primorsky Krai enforcement officers have issues 1,843 court orders imposing temporary foreign travel ban on debtors, including 323 court orders against deadbeat fathers with the total debt of about 23.8 million rubles. The total debt of those non-payers who were imposed a ban on travelling abroad amounted to 577.8 million rubles. The major part of the court orders was issued in the framework of enforcement proceedings where recoverers are legal entities: banks, credit institutions and housing and utility service providers.

“This measure is still very efficient,” said Andrey Uglov, Head of Federal Service of Court Bailiffs for Primorsky Krai. “Notwithstanding a heavy debt many non-payers seem to have enough money to buy expensive travel packages. I think it’s wrong. At first one should fulfill debt payment liabilities and only then travel wherever one likes with a safe conscience.”

The ban on travelling to a foreign country urged 293 non-payers to settle their debts, including 26 deadbeat dads.