School canteens, hunt for tax evaders The Municipality: “Forced collection”

At least fifty “defaulting” families despite warnings and reminders. The practice passes to Abaco

CONEGLIANO. It is a hunt for tax evaders from school canteens, at least fifty families involved. Despite letters and injunctions, there are still several parents who have not paid and the Municipality of Conegliano is in credit of some tens of thousands of euros. The task was thus entrusted to Abaco for a compulsory recovery of the sums dating back to the four-year period between 2016 and 2020.

UNPAID MEALS

About a thousand meals are distributed every day in municipal schools of different grades, from kindergartens to primary, middle and socio-educational centers. The percentage of unpaid meals is around 4%. From the summer of 2019, online registration for the canteen was activated, in order also to control and reduce debt situations.

“Over the years, various actions have been carried out aimed at recovering credit, such as injunctions, reminders and more”, the offices of the economic sector point out. Some families have settled and paid what they owed. Others, on the other hand, hoped that, after a long time, the payment would end up in oblivion.

These are not large figures, but added together they amount to a few tens of thousands of euros.

THE COACTIVE COLLECTION

“It is therefore necessary – reads the documents of the Municipality – to proceed with an assignment relating to the compulsory collection service of municipal revenues relating to school meals services for still unsatisfied credits, so that specific operations aimed at credit recovery can be carried out”.

The Municipality has instructed the Abaco company, which already carries out services for Conegliano such as the collection of taxes on public billboards, to find the “naughty”. The activity will continue until 2024. The municipal administration had already established rules in past years, such as prepayment by reloading a prepaid virtual electronic account, in the name of the parents. “The persistence of situations of arrears will result in the suspension of the administration of meals until full payment of the debt – one of the rules already established – In particular, for those who have reached the debt of 100 euros at the end of the month, the service will be suspended ex officio from day 1 of the following month “. The Municipality covers 50% of the costs of the school canteens, whose overall service exceeds one million euros per year.

REDUCED RATES

Since September, the tariffs, which had been raised in January causing protests and then reduced, have been further reduced for low-income families.

The prefectural commissioner Antonello Roccoberton and the municipal managers – the financial sector is headed by Stefano Di Lena – had provided for a new support of 110 thousand euros to cover the expenses of meals for students and the increases due to the anti Covid regulations, from September to December . For childhood and primary pupils, the voucher costs € 4.30, but those with a low ISEE are reduced to € 3.60. For the averages it is 4.70 euros.

The new administration, with the budget at the end of the year, will be able to confirm or adjust the rates.