Twenty-five days before the expiration of the deadline for inclusion in the plan for the regulation of overdue contributions to the Social Insurance Fund (TCA) and the Minister of Labour, Marinos Mousiouttas, invited football clubs to submit applications to participate in the plan. The submission of applications began last May and will end on September 14. According to data revealed a few weeks ago by "F", 12 football clubs/companies owed contributions to the Social Security Fund amounting to €9.5 million. It is worth noting that the largest amount of overdue contributions, amounting to €9.32 million, is owed by five football teams. In detail, the five unions/companies with the largest debts to the Social Security Fund are the following:
∙ Football club/company A: Has accumulated debts to the Social Security Fund amounting to €5.84 million.
∙ Football club/company B: Owes Social Insurance an amount of €1.4 million.
∙ Football club/company C: Has debts to the Social Security Fund amounting to €949,400.
∙ Football club/club D: Has overdue social contributions of €783,500.
∙ Football club/company E: Has debts to the Fund amounting to €338,300.
Minister: We must be law-abiding
So far, two football clubs are in the plan of the overdue ones. One applied with the latest draft which came into force on 15 May. The other is regulated by the previous government plan that was implemented during the coronavirus pandemic. The Minister of Labour said that we all have to pay social insurance and be consistent and law-abiding. He called on both football clubs and other natural and legal persons to submit applications to join the overdue contribution scheme. Those who join the new arrangement can pay off their debts in 54 equal instalments, while those who repay earlier will benefit from a corresponding reduction in the additional fee, which can reach up to 27%. A condition for inclusion in the plan, according to the Minister of Labour, is the payment of their current obligations. As he explained, if someone decides that they can settle their overdue debts in 27 instead of 54 instalments, they are entitled to a discount from the charge that exists, which is a 3% charge every month until 2027. "So, if someone decides to pay in half instalments, then they will come to deduct from the debt half of the burden that exists," he added.
They will be spared legal adventures
It is reminded that for those who join the new overdue debt plan, no judicial measures are taken. At the same time, the criminal prosecutions registered against them, as well as the imprisonment or seizure warrants, are suspended. However, executives of football teams, as well as other legal entities, have been brought to justice. Therefore, in case they join the new regulation, then they will avoid legal adventures.
They collect money for Tax
It is worth noting that among the five football companies that have the largest debts to the Social Security Fund, some of them such as APOEL, Apollon, Anorthosis and AEL have created additional debts to the Tax Department amounting to €1 million concerning Income Tax and VAT. 50% of the new tax debts have already been paid. Today, the deadline given to them by the Tax Department to comply normally expires, but at the request of the debtors, they will be given an extension of a few weeks to comply.
1600 applications were submitted for debts of €245 million.
The total amount of arrears to the Social Security Fund, which is owed not only by football clubs, but also by dozens of other debtors, amounts to €245 million. So far, around 1500 to 1600 applications have been submitted, with the Minister of Labour saying that there may not be a similar plan soon. The minimum amount of each monthly instalment is €25 for a debt of up to €500, €50 for a debt of €501 to €1,000 and €75 for a debt of €1,001 or more. This is the third plan implemented by the state for the payment of overdue contributions to Social Security Funds. Through the previous two other projects, the state received around €100 million out of total debts to the Social Security Fund amounting to €225 million. Initially, 10,900 debtors were included in the two plans and then more than 60% were removed, as they did not implement the commitments they undertook. At the moment, 395 debtors are included in the latest plan.
