Shop bad debts in Spain rise by 150 percent in September

PALMA
IN September this year, the amount lost to Spanish shop businesses through bad debtsrose to 29 million euros, 150 percent over and above the corresponding figure for the same month last year when the loss stood at 11.6 million euros.

The National Institute of Statistics reported yesterday that the number of items returned unpaid to traders in the Balearics totalled 5'229 euros in September, representing an increase of 42.5 percent in comparison to the same month last year. The value of goods which were due for payment rose to 109'172 euros, 7.8 percent more than the same month in 2007. The Balearics registered the largest bad debt for unpaid items in the whole of the country during September, 68.2 percent higher than the State average (3'109 euros) and 74.6 percent more than in September 2007.