The number of self-employed persons who are in arrears in the payment of social security contributions is 20,385, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said in Parliament.

They owe the government €37,508,741.

Mr Fenech said that the government would be stepping up action to ensure that social security contributions by employers were paid promptly since they could affect the pensions of their employees. He said the amalgamation of the revenue-collecting departments - VAT, Inland Revenue and Social Security - was a step in this direction.

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