Industry group Finance Finland on Saturday said the government's plan to widen benefit agency Kela's access to citizens' bank data was problematic.

The group's position follows an announcement this week by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health regarding legislative changes to curb the misuse of Kela benefits.

Under the proposal, Kela would more frequently be able to obtain information on applicants' financial situations directly from banks.

Finance Finland argued that the proposal raises concerns, particularly over bank secrecy and privacy. It also said that the proposal would strain the system while delivering limited benefits.

The total value of benefit fraud cases leading to investigation request filings amounted to around seven million euros last year.