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The number of civil summonses issued for debt has increased, Statistics SA said on Thursday.

The total number of summonses for the third quarter of 2009 increased by 14.7 percent compared with the third quarter of 2008, the Pretoria based agency said.

There was also a 6.7 percent increase between September 2008 and September 2009.

The major contributors to the increase in civil summonses issued for debt for the third quarter of 2009 compared with the third quarter of 2008 were civil summonses issued in respect of money lent (five percentage points), promissory notes and other acknowledgements of debt (4.6 percentage points) (this category includes credit card debt) and 'other debts' (2.2 percentage points), Statistics SA said.

The 'other services' and rent categories were the only negative contributors, it added.

Following the trend in the number of civil summonses issued for debt, the total number of civil judgements recorded for debt for the third quarter of 2009 increased by 15.2 percent compared with the third quarter of 2008.

Statistics SA said there was also a 5.4 percent increase between September 2008 and September 2009.

Civil judgements in respect of money lent (contributing 11.9 percentage points), promissory notes and other acknowledgements of debt (contributing 2.4 percentage points) and professional services (contributing 2.3 percentage points) were the main drivers behind the 15.2 percent increase in the number of civil judgements recorded for debt.

Statistics SA added that the 'other debts' category was the only negative contributor (-4.1 percentage points).

It also said that the total value of civil judgements recorded for debt for the third quarter of 2009 increased by 23.6 percent compared with the third quarter of 2008.

There was also a 29.4 percent increase between September 2008 and September 2009.

The major contributors to the 23.6 percent increase in the value of civil judgements for the third quarter of 2009 compared with the third quarter of 2008 were money lent (10.3 percentage points), promissory notes and other acknowledgements of debt (4.1 percentage points) and goods sold on an open account (2.8 percentage points).

The 'other debts' category was the only negative contributor (-0.4 of a percentage point).

Statistics SA said that during September 2009, 59 588 civil judgements for debt amounting to R640.4-million were recorded.

The largest contributors to the R640.4-million were money lent (R223.5 million), 'other debts'(R128.9-million), goods sold on an open account (R75.7-million) and promissory notes and other acknowledgements of debt (R64.1-million).

Sapa

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