At the beginning of 1942 the government introduced compulsory work service for all citizens between the age of 18 and 25. Up to that time around 7.55 billion Yugoslav dinars were replaced by the NDH kuna at an exchange rate of 1 dinar for 1 kuna. The government kept printing money and its amount in circulation was rapidly increasing, resulting in high inflation rates. By the end of 1943 there were 43.6 billion kunas in circulation and in August 1944 76.8 billion. Constant money printing was a way of financing huge government spending, that could not be covered by increased taxation and long-term borrowing. The NDH inherited 42% or 32.5 million reichsmarks of the total debt which Yugoslavia owed to Germany. According to official data, the total debt of NDH on clearing accounts at the end of 1944 amounted to 969.8 million kunas.