Organisation
The organisation and units
The core tasks of the National Enforcement Authority Finland are carried out by the enforcement units. The Office of Director General is responsible for the central administration.
The Basic Enforcement Unit
The Basic Enforcement Unit collects monetary receivables, without meeting the customers in person. The unit only deals with matters involving private citizens, or natural persons, self-employed persons excepted.
Extensive Enforcement Units
If an enforcement matter requires measures outside the competence of the Basic Enforcement Unit, the case is immediately transferred to the region’s Extensive Enforcement Unit. The extensive enforcement regions are Southern Finland, Western Finland, the Interior of Finland Eastern Finland and Northern Finland.
Special Enforcement Unit
The special enforcement unit handles tasks that require a lot of investigation and time, participates in cooperation between authorities and in the fight against the shadow economy and economic crime, and takes care of enforcing international sanctions.
General Services Unit
The General Services Unit takes care of the registration of enforcement cases, document management, payment transactions, customer service and support functions related to enforcement auctions and other enforcement activities.
Central Administration – Office of Director General
National Enforcement Authority Finland’s Central Administration carries out central administrative duties for the whole Authority, including the administrative management, development and oversight of the enforcement service. The Central Administration is also responsible for the Authority’s performance and results as a whole.
Duties
- secures National Enforcement Authority Finland’s operational capabilities and develops the enforcement service according to targets agreed with the Ministry of Justice;
- assists the Ministry of Justice with strategic planning, preparing the budget and law drafting;
- maintains and develops the information systems used by National Enforcement Authority Finland;
- resolves those complaints and claims for damages concerning the operations of the enforcement authorities that fall within its competence;
- develops international enforcement cooperation; and
- takes care of any other national administrative duties related to the enforcement service.
The Central Administration is organised into a legal unit, development and steering unit, administrative unit and a general staff.
The Central Administration is headed by Director General, who also acts as the head of the entire National Enforcement Authority Finland. The Deputy Director acts as an aid and substitute for the Director General.
The Central Administration does not get involved in individual enforcement cases, which are handled independently by the enforcement units. Competence in individual enforcement cases always lies with the enforcement officer in charge of the matter, and the Central Administration does not, for example amend decisions made in individual enforcement cases.
Enforcement offices
National Enforcement Authority Finland has a network of offices. These offices are provided for in a Decree of the Ministry of Justice.