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Johannesburg - The number of people turning to debt counsellors have skyrocketed, according to some estimates.
Some 39 450 consumers have applied for debt counselling by the start of December last year. By January, the number had tripled and it should reach 150 000 by the middle of the year, estimated Charl Collins, operational manager of Keystone Debt Assist.
He said that there were reportedly only 695 active registered debt counsellors nationwide in December, while another 1 000 applied for training.
It is clear that there are not enough debt counsellors to deal with the flood of debt-ridden consumers.
Counsellors? jobs are also not simple and they should have a number of skills, including financial know-how and excellent negotiating skills, said Collins. Getting the necessary infrastructure in place is also expensive.
Another hurdle is all the red tape that debt counsellors have to deal with, which leaves them with less time to help consumers.
- Rapport
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