Superstition is alive and well - fingers crossed!

ACCOUNTANCY AGE STAFF have not been the only journalists to cover the story of Romanian witches laying curses on politicians who had planned to tax their earnings from January 2011.

Apparently, in a superstitious land like Romania (pictured - a castle in Transylvania. Sorry, ed.), these threats and curses are not to be taken lightly! Witchcraft still plays a part in modern society, and I was reminded of this fact a couple of years ago while at an international debt collection conference.

A representative of a global credit insurance organisation and debt collection agency was giving a speech on how best to collect debts in French West Africa. Many exporters brave enough to ship to that part of the world on open credit terms would naturally turn to a local law firm to help chase outstanding debt down...but they'd be barking up the wrong tree we were told.

The best way of retrieving debt in French West Africa is to seek out the local witchdoctor to the debtor. A few words from him will undoubtedly persuade the debtor to cough up, as the person concerned would be much more worried about the powers of a witch doctor than those of a suited lawman!