Australians in arrears to Australia`s government institutions will be banned from travelling abroad on international flights. (photo by Daily Mail)
According to the Daily Mail, the federal government will crack down on welfare and tax fraud, and Australians in arrears to government institutions will be banned from travelling abroad on international flights until the debt is paid off. Through this measure, the government hopes to recover up to A $800m in debt.
It is reported that the federal government announced severe new measures, the Australian Revenue Service (ATO), Welfare Department (Centrelink) and other federal government agency debt arrears will be banned from international flights to leave Australia. As many as one hundred and fifty thousand Australians will be affected if they refuse to accept the repayment plan.
The federal government imposed the measure mainly to recover the $800m owed by government agencies.
About 20 people have been banned from leaving Australia. Among them was a Sydney resident who owed $10,000 in taxes to the Australian tax Authority.
Australian Prime Minister credit Mosuisse (Scott Morrison) said the crackdown was aimed at ensuring that Australia`s economy did not pay for welfare and tax fraud. He also warned that arrears of government debt will be charged interest.
Mr Mosuisse said the government had no ulterior motives in pursuing the policy and believed that Australians would support its hard-line stance to ensure that the government welfare and tax system would not be used again.
It is understood that a number of "old Lama" parents have been required to pay maintenance before leaving the country.
