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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 98-11-26Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Deputy cenbank governor sees inflation falling to 4.1 pct DecAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Consumer price inflation is expected to fall to 4.1 percent in December, declining to 2.0 percent in the same month of 1999, deputy central bank governor Panayotis Thomopoulos said yesterday.The country was making every effort to meet alignment criteria with the European Union that will allow entry into economic and monetary union by the government's target date of January 1, 2001, Mr. Thomopoulos said. "Greece is no longer an emerging economy, and should not be viewed as such, " he said. Consumer price inflation in October was 4.7 percent year-on-year, down from 5.2 percent in September. Although the economy had a poor record in the past, steps were being taken to remove prejudices that still remained. The deputy governor was speaking at a shipping club in Piraeus as part of an international meeting in the port city. Gov't lists firms taking part in anti-inflation price cuts, freeze (See page 6) Athens News Agency[02] Consultations in light of Clerides talks in Athens tomorrowAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday consulted with senior ministers in preparation for a meeting in Athens tomorrow with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, to include the political leaderships of both countries' foreign and defence ministries.Friday's talks are expected to focus on the course of Cyprus' bid to become a full member of the European Union as well as the issue of the Russian- made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, which Nicosia plans to deploy on the island republic. Nicosia's plans to install the missiles have been criticised by the United States and European Union countries, which say that it will raise tension in the region. Despite the defensive nature of the Russian missiles, Turkey has openly threatened to prevent their deployment by any means. According to sources, the various options concerning the missile deployment will be discussed in detail and no final decisions will be taken. "The discussion will open but not close," a highly-placed government source said. One of the reasons why no decisions will be taken on Friday is that ultimate responsibility lies with Cyprus' National Council. At the same time, as both Athens and Nicosia have said in the past, any final decision will also depend on any progress made prior to deployment towards a settlement of the Cyprus problem or steps towards demilitarisation of the island. Yesterday's meeting was attended by National Defence Minister Akis Tsohadzopoulos, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis. Cyprus gov't spokesman : NICOSIA (ANA - I. Frangouli) - Cyprus government spokesman Christos Stylianides said in a radio interview yesterday that the focus of Friday's meeting would be current issues related to the Cyprus problem and the cooperation between Athens and Nicosia in dealing with them. While not ruling out the possibility of armaments issues being discussed, Mr. Stylianides said the decision to install the S-300 missiles could be overturned only by the body which took it, namely the Cyprus National Council. Athens News Agency[03] Israeli defence minister refers to possible Athens-Tel Aviv defence cooperationTEL AVIV 26/11/1998 (ANA - M. Psylos)Israeli Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai made an explicit proposal for Greek-Israeli military cooperation, similar to that between Israel and Turkey, while speaking to a group of Greek reporters here yesterday.Mr. Mordechai, who is expected to arrive in Greece on Dec. 19, said that Israel "wants to build the same cooperation with Greece". He categorically denied a report in the Turkish daily "Hurriyet" that the secretary general of the Israeli defence ministry reportedly said that "before examining an issue of military cooperation with Greece and Cyprus, Israel will take Turkey's vital interests into consideration." "They are groundless and do not live up to the truth," the Israeli minister said, repeating that Israel's cooperation with Turkey "is not directed against whatever third country. Nothing has changed in our policy." Questioned on Ankara's effort to exploit cooperation with Israel and direct it to an anti-Greek or anti-Cypriot direction, Mr. Mordechai said that "nothing has changed in relations between Israel and Turkey at this period. We want to build the same coop eration with Greece." Mr. Mordechai said that during his visit to Greece he will be discussing naval cooperation between the two countries. He also said that a year ago he had called the Greek ambassador to Tel Aviv and had asked him whether Athens wishes to participate in the joint naval search and rescue exercises in the Mediterranean between Israel, Turkey and the US. "We decided to conduct the exercises in the Mediterranean all together, but you decided not to participate," he said. Mr. Mordechai also said that Israel offered to mediate between Greece and Turkey to resolve differences between the two countries. "I believe that if we can help for a way to be found for the dispute to be resolved we will support it," he said. Replying to a question regarding Turkey's threats of military reprisals in the event that Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles are deployed on Cyprus, Mr. Mordechai said that "we do not want any threats in our region. It is better for us to find a solution so that there is no crisis in Cyprus.This means that a solution must be found on the negotiating table and not with military measures." Commenting on the same issue, Israeli foreign ministry officials emphasised that Israel has expressed no official position and neither has it sided with complaints made by other western countries against the deployment of the Russian missiles on Cyprus. Athens News Agency[04] Avramopoulos to attend Vienna conferenceVIENNA 26/11/1998 (ANA)Central Union of Greek Municipalities and Communities (KEDKE) President and Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos arrived here yesterday to preside over the "Cities, Innovation and Regional Development" conference, organised by the European Commission and the Vienna municipality.The conference will focus on issues of development, environment and the use of European Union funding for the improvement of living conditions. Athens News Agency[05] Fischer in Athens on Dec. 14BONN 26/11/1998 (ANA - P. Stangos)German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will be in Athens for about two and a half hours on Dec. 14, the starting point of a round of EU capitals which precedes Bonn's assumption of the Union's rotating presidency.According to the foreign ministry, which confirmed relevant reports in Germany, Mr. Fischer's agenda in Athens will include, apart from the initiatives and programme of the German presidency, three specific issues, namely, relations between the EU and Turkey; the Aegean (evidently the handling of the problem of disputes raised by Ankara) and the Cyprus issue. Mr. Fischer's visit will start two days after the end of the Vienna summit on Dec. 11-12, with the first stopover taking place on Dec. 14 and the last on Dec. 18 in Paris. Mr. Fischer's arrival in Athens will be preceded by a familiarisation with "special" problems on a bilateral level, through talks to be held in Bonn initially on Dec. 1 by Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou with his counterpart Gunther Verheug en and Deputy Minister Friedrich von Pletsch, and then on Dec. 7 between Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Athens News Agency[06] Venizelos statement following British press criticism over Parthenon MarblesAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos yesterday issued a statement in reply to criticism in the British press over the positions he recently expressed to Britain's Prince Charles regarding the return of the Parthenon Marbles.The Greek minister said he has requested of the British ambassador to Athens on several occasions to relay his opinions on the issue to London. "...as the Greek culture minister I had the obligation to this major monument of western civilisation and international cultural heritage to stress the self-evident to the honoured guest, namely, that this monument is dismembered and that the return of the Marbles of the Parthenon is an open issue which does not only affect the two countries but global civilisation. "His (the Prince of Wales) sensitivity, expressed through his visit to the monument, is enough for me. I am glad that some people in Britain give so much importance to gentility since there is nothing more noble than the grand gesture of the return of the Marbles of Parthenon in view of the new millennium." Athens News Agency[07] Christodoulos mediation in Serbian, FYROM church disputeBELGRADE 26/11/1998 (ANA - M. Mouratidis)The break-away Orthodox church in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) yesterday announced that has accepted Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos' mediation towards resolution of a long-time dispu te with the Serbian Orthodox Church.The announcement appeared in a Belgrade daily yesterday, according to which the decision will be forwarded to the Autocephalus Orthodox Church of Greece in writing. Apparently, Christodoulos' initiative occurred during an unofficial meeting recently between the Archbishop and FYROM church representatives at a border post in Florina prefecture. The mini-schism dates to 1967, when the FYROM church broke away from the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate and declared its autonomy. Athens News Agency[08] Synaspismos hails Rome's decision in Ocalan caseAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos expressed his satisfaction at Italy's firm refusal to extradite Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan to Turkey.Commenting on the issue yesterday, Mr. Constantopoulos said Rome's decision defended both international law and the social, ideological and political values of the social and political leftist movement. He further underlined that Turkey should realise that issues related to stability, peace, security, human rights and international law were negotiated on the basis of diplomatic and political guarantees given by the international community, while he added that a political procedure to resolve the Kurdish issue has now started. Athens News Agency[09] Vartholomeos replies to press question on Ocalan issueAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos yesterday replied to a press question in Turkey regarding Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan by stressing: "Our Church condemns any type of violence or terrorism, regardless of where they come from...our re ligion supports co-existence with unity in any part of the world"."Our grief increases when such actions victimise innocent people, children, women and the elderly", the Patriarch said, adding "We believe that Abdullah Ocalan, who has been active in that direction for years and has caused the death of thousands of people, will answer to God." The Ecumenical Patriarch, on a visit to Ankara to participate in the annual religious conference organised by the General Directorate of Religious Affairs in Turkey, said that he would meet with Vatican representatives set to visit the Ecumenical Patria rchate next Friday. Athens News Agency[10] Four charged in fatal tugboat fireAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)The trial of four persons held responsible for the fire aboard the tugboat "Agios Georgios", in which three people lost their lives and a fourth is missing and presumed dead, was postponed for three days yesterday.The Piraeus-based "Agios Georgios" on Monday rushed to help put out a fire that had broken out aboard the tanker "Golden Crete", owned by the Vardinoyiannis group. The fire quickly spread to the tugboat, which ran aground one mile from the port of Thessaloniki. The fire aboard the tanker, which was carrying a cargo of gasoline, was in the meantime placed under control. Three charred bodies were pulled from the burning tugboat and a fourth crew member of the tug was presumed dead. The four persons on trial are the captain and second mate of the "Golden Crete", Eleftherios Proedros and Panayiotis Kavvadas, respectively, and EKO refinery employees Christos Georgiadis and Dimitris Masmanidis. All four appeared before an investigating magistrate in Thessaloniki yesterday, after which their lawyer told reporters that his clients, by their actions, had saved the port of Thessaloniki from destruction. A public prosecutor on Tuesday night charged the four with manslaughter, causing marine pollution, causing a shipwreck and arson. According to the charges, the four are accused of failing to comply with safety regulations and ensure the water-tightn ess of the oil refinery pipe as the "Golden Crete" took on the gasoline. They have also been charged with failing to notify the harbour authorities about fuel spilling into the sea. Athens News Agency Athens 26/11/1998 (ANA) Panathinaikos lost 2-1 to Ukraine's Dynamo Kiev last night in the European Champions' Leage group E. The Kiev macth was watched by 35,000 spectators. In group A, Olymkpiakos Piraeus defeated Portugal's Porto 2-1 in Athens. Athens News Agency[11] PM on police issuesAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Prime Minister Costas Simitis said yesterday that the operation of enlarged police stations is being reconsidered, in order to judge whether the measure has had any effect, while further decisions will be taken after the evaluation of results of a relevant study.The premier was replying to a question tabled in Parliament by ruling PASOK deputy Nasos Alevras, concerning measures to improve policing in the Greek capital. Mr. Simitis said the government was seeking to make the police force more effective by bringing 3,000 to 4,000 police officers into active service units, while he referred to decisions for more partols in the city. Athens News Agency[12] Reparations issue agains resurfacesAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Greek World War II resistance fighters are apparently renewing demands for war reparations from Bonn.Parliament VP Loukas Apostolidis yesterday said an inter-party committee was formed to bring up the issue during contacts with German political parties, while a resolution of the British House of Lords to recognise that court immunity does not apply to crimes against humanity, in regards to former Chilean strongman Augusto Pinochet, was viewed as favourable for the reparations issue. Certain actions by Germany and its political leadership were also viewed as favourable, such as its recourse to the Greek Supreme Court in order to appeal first instance court decisions by Greek courts that awarded reparations to residents of two towns that suffered damage during the Nazi occupation. Newly elected German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer appears to agree about the need for discussions on the issue. Athens News Agency[13] Tsohatzopoulos attends cartography exhibitionAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos yesterday in Thessaloniki honoured several members of the Greek military's mapping services for their contribution to science and cartography.Mr. Tsohatzopoulos also inaugurated an exhibition of maps of Greek city ports in the 20th century, organised by the navy at the Cultural Centre of Thessaloniki Prefecture through Nov. 29. Athens News Agency[14] Students continue mobilisations against education reform billAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)The crisis at Greece's schools appeared rising yesterday as students prepared for ra llies in Athens and Thessaloniki, while Education Mi-nister Gerasimos Arsenis braved jeering students at a local high school.In Thessaloniki, the number of students occupying schools or being prevented from attending lessons in occupied schools are estimated to now number in the thousands. Schools in the city itself as well as in the rest of the prefecture are now affected by the protests. Students, teachers and parents are protesting against a number of issues, including teacher shortages, education ministry changes to grading and examinations at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, and the introduction of open university type pro grammes. Some demands are specific to certain areas: in Thessaloniki, one technical high school listed one of its demands as "fairness" for the Thessaloniki- based football team, PAOK. The coordinating committee for Athens schools has called for protests to last up to Christmas and are planning a programme of marches, rallies and occupations of schools and road sit-ins. Yesterday morning, Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis was jeered by students during a visit to a junior high school in Athens, part of a programme of visits to explain the ministry's reforms. Students are also planning rallies on December 9 and December 15, the date for which the General Confederation of Greek Labour has called a general strike to protest the government's economic policies. Meanwhile, an Athens prosecutor ordered police in the suburb of Ayia Paraskevi to conduct preliminary checks on occupations at two local junior high schools. The police have been empowered to visit the schools and investigate whether they are being allowed to operate normally, investigate whether non- students are on the premises and whether any unlawful acts have been committed. Asked about the prosecutor's unprecedented move, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas refused to be drawn on the issue, saying that the government had no involvement with the decisions of judicial officials. Issues arising from educational reforms should be resolved through dialogue and understanding, Mr. Reppas said, adding, however, that justice could not remain mute on matters which fall within its competence. Athens News Agency[15] One in 20 Greek children face dyslexia problemAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)One in every 20 children in Greece is facing a dyslexia problem, according to the National Dyslexia Association.The association said children with dyslexia do not recall names, numbers or dates, regardless how hard they study them; they confuse letters and numbers, forget the sequence of days, months or seasons and cannot memorise the alphabet or time-tables. Scientists, however, stressed that dyslexia was not a disease, therefore, therapy was not required and that children with dyslexia learned through the use of an unorthodox and peculiar system, which was not compatible with the conventional educational system. Children with dyslexia can live fruitful and highly productive lives with an accurate diagnosis and immediate measures, such as word-therapy, special glasses and work-therapy. Athens News Agency[16] Prefects warn gov't not to cut allocationsAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)The country's prefects are set to join protesting mayors in threatening to mobilise over cuts in the new 1999 state budget.The Association of Prefectual Administrations of Greece (ENAE) yesterday condemned a finance ministry circular, which requires prefectures to prepare for "deficit" budgets in 1999. Specifically, the circular provides for credits amounting to 90 billion drachmas instead of 109.8 billion drachmas stipulated by a relevant law on prefectures' finances that has yet to be passed, besides 113 billion drachmas that ENAE requests. At a press conference, the ENAE board demanded that the government scrap the circular and see that the bill on prefectures' finances is passed. Prefects warned that prefectural administrations will face serious problems in their operation, with the burden falling on citizens. An extraordinary meeting of all prefects has been called for Dec.7 to take final decisions. The latest edition of the "Defense Directory", an English-language publication was unveiled yesterday. The guide deals with Greek foreign and defence policy. The second part of the publication refers to the armaments programmes of Greece and Turkey, while another focuses on the Greek defence industry and companies. Athens News Agency[17] Gov't lists firms taking part in anti-inflation price cuts, freezeAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Development Minister Vasso Papandreou yesterday released a list of hundreds of businesses in manufacturing, commerce and services that have agreed to a government plan to lower or freeze their prices in 1999.The plan aims to bring down consumer price inflation and ensure the country's participation in European economic and monetary union (EMU) by January 1, 2001. Ms Papandreou said that any price increases would not be higher than the anticipated inflation rate, and that the scheme to lower or freeze prices would safeguard the real income of consumers. Among sectors and services included in the agreement are building materials, furniture, electrical appliances, apparel, electronic games, plumbing services, parking charges, hairdressing, dental treatment, foodstuffs, fast food, restaurants, cafes, gymn asiums and insurance premiums. Both domestically produced goods and imports will have their prices reduced or frozen. In some cases individual firms have stated their agreement to the scheme, and in others, trade associations. The minister said the deal showed that the business sector had confidence in the government's drive to place the country on an equal footing with other European Union states. Attaining the agreements with companies on prices was also evidence of the effectiveness of recent government measures to lower indirect taxes and freeze public utility rates, Ms Papandreou said. The two moves had helped to lower production costs, facilitating a freeze or cut in consumer prices. Athens News Agency[18] Contractors again submit bids for delayed Dr 45 bln projectAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Consortiums in a severely delayed tender for the second phase of a project to build a high-tech wastewater treatment plant for the capital resubmitted bids yesterday following a change in the tender's rules.Financial and technical bids were originally submitted in May 1997 for the 45 billion drachma construction project at Psyttalia in a tender employing a shortlist arrangement, called by the public works ministry. Evaluation ended in July this year but the ministry decided to declare all bids null and void following vigorous objections by some of the groups that technical data on the basis of which they calculated their offers was inadequate. Following consultations with the tender's six bidders, the ministry decided to draw up a new preliminary study for the project's second phase and call for fresh financial bids. A contract is expected to be signed with the lowest bidder. The competing consortiums and their latest bids are as follows:
The sixth consortium, Athina with FCC, did not submit a new bid. Athens News Agency[19] Hellenic Petroleum completes buyout of MamidakisAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)State-owned Hellenic Petroleum, which is listed on the Athens bourse, yesterday acquired Mamidakis and Associates through its subsidiary EKO- ELDA.The Hellenic Petroleum Group now owns Mamidakis' six high-technology installations with a total capacity of 217 km3, and 530 liquid fuel outlets. Signing the handover of shares was Hellenic Petroleum's president and managing director, Eleftherios Tzellas, the managing director of EKO-ELDA, and a representative of the Mamidakis family, the majority shareholder in the firm, and small shareholders. Athens News Agency[20] PM to speak at Greek-American chamber economy conferenceAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Prime Minister Costas Simitis and main opposition leader Costas Karamanlis will speak at the annual Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce's economy conference to be held in Athens on December 7-8.Speakers and delegates at the conference will discuss the country's financial sector, the impact of a recent international financial crisis on banks and stock markets, the overall course of the economy, and the impact of the euro. National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou will open the conference. In his speech, he will outline next year's budget and Greece's prospects of participation in European economic and monetary union. Sponsors of the conference are National Bank of Greece, National Investment Bank for Industrial Development, Commercial Bank of Greece, Sigma Securities and Agricultural Bank of Greece Mutual Funds. Athens News Agency[21] Gov't to auction 12-M T-bills tomorrowAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)The finance ministry tomorrow will auction 12-month Treasury bills in electronic form totalling 180 billion drachmas.The auction is open to primary dealers, and the ministry will pay a 0.45 percent commission to participating banks. It also plans to hold a public offering of two-year savings bonds in electronic form on December 2 and December 3. Athens News Agency[22] Central bank keeps intervention rate unchangedAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)The Bank of Greece yesterday kept its key intervention rate unchanged at 12.75 percent in a weekly interbank market depo tender, overturning hopes of a cut that would signal an across-the-board decline in drachma rates. Traders will now be looking to next Wednesday's tender, again hoping the tender rate will drop.Interbank rates remained high in yesterday's session, but bond prices slipped. The finance ministry is due to tender 12-month Treasury bills tomorrow, and traders estimate that the rate will slip below the previous 11 percent. Athens News Agency[23] Gov't launches restructuring for exports groupAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)The government launched a restructuring for the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board (HEPO) yesterday as part of its drive to modernise state companies.Signing the management contract were National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, Deputy National Economy Minister Alexandros Baltas and HEPO's chairman, Yiannis Tzen. The contract sets out the organisation's role, aims and activities as follows:
The organisation's funding will be secured from the European Union, the state and private resources. HEPO's restructuring will be achieved through cutbacks in its operational costs, a rationalisation of human resources and a repricing of its services. Athens News Agency[24] Stocks shed gains in technical correctionAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Equities ended lower yesterday in what traders described as a normal correction following a five-day advance that drove the Athens Stock Exchange 8.30 percent higher.The general index ended 0.73 percent down at 2,476.75 points, off the day's lows. Trading was moderate with turnover at 55.7 billion drachmas. Sector indices lost ground. Banks fell 0.80 percent, Leasing dropped 0.09 percent, Insurance eased 0.20 percent, Investment ended 0.85 percent off, Construction jumped 4.53 percent, Industrials ended 1.33 percent down, Miscellaneous rose 0.03 percent and Holding increased 0.28 per cent. The parallel market index for small cap companies ended 2.74 percent up, reflecting interest in smaller capitalisation stocks. Broadly, decliners led advancers by 141 to 112 with another 11 issues unchanged. Volume was 14,690,000 shares. Mytilineos, Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation, Thessaliki and Strintzis Lines were the most heavily traded stocks. Spyros Kouniakis, the bourse's chairman, ordered Technodomi engineering contractors to be placed under surveillance due to severe financial problems faced by the company. Aegek, Dimitriadis, Eskimo, Hadzioannou, Metka, Kyriakoulis, Lampsa and Keranis scored the biggest percentage gains, hitting the daily 8.0 percent limit up. Vis, Technodomi, Elfico, Bank of Central Greece, Strintzis Lines, Klaoudatos, Alpha Finance, Ionian Invest, Kalpinis and Koumbas suffered the heaviest losses. National Bank of Greece ended at 50,100 drachmas, Ergobank at 27,250, Alpha Credit Bank at 26,830, Ionian Bank at 12,130, Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation at 7,145, Delta Dairy at 3,690, Intracom at 13,560, Titan Cement at 19,360, Hellenic Petro leum at 2,365 and Minoan Lines at 6,430 drachmas. Athens News Agency[25] Greek, Chinese finance officials debate double taxationAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Deputy Finance Minister George Drys yesterday met his Chinese counterpart, Lou Renfa, to discuss ways of avoiding double taxation between the two countries.The two officials debated ways of expanding bilateral cooperation in tax procedures and exchanging information. They also shared views on tax inspection systems and sanctions imposed on tax evasion in the two countries. Athens News Agency[26] Athens, Commission agree on improving public works system in GreeceBRUSSELS 26/11/1998 (ANA - G. Daratos)Athens and the European Commission have agreed on the further course of improving the public works system in Greece.According to relevant European Commission circles, the committee responsible for monitoring the carrying out of projects in the framework of the third Community Support Framework has expressed satisfaction over the measures announced by Athens which are targeted at a greater improvement in the quality of public works with a parallel decrease in their cost. According to these decisions, the agreed cost for auctioned projects can only be exceeded in special cases and the duty of checking the quality of these projects has been assigned to a foreign company. The same sources said the government explained to the European Commission how and with what means it will proceed, apart from the existing legal and other control measures, with an in-depth examination of both the cost of each project and its quality. The European Commission was satisfied on hearing of these additional measures and expressed support for Gre-ece's effort, which will contribute to the avoidance of negative repercussions in the European Union's funding participation in the carrying out of these projects. Athens News Agency[27] PM: heightened monitoring of public works projects occurringAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Prime Minister Costas Simitis stressed yesterday that for the first time ever in Greece, public works projects are being checked to such a high degree.Speaking in Parliament on the issue of transparency and legality in public works, he added that 20,000 projects are currently being carried out throughout the country P improving infrastructure, increasing jobs and boosting the economy. Mr. Simitis, replying to a question by main opposition New Democracy deputy Manolis Kefaloyiannis, said that after problems of quality and cost that appeared in certain projects in the first Community Support Framework (1989- 1993), the environment, town planning and public works ministry has promoted settlements which, among others, are the hiring of management and construction advisers for major projects, intensification of controls from the group of public works inspectors and consolidation of a "Spec ial Qualitative Control Adviser" (ESPEL) who has conducted sample checks at 1, 500 public works. Mr. Simitis said that the ministry has imposed, after systematic checks, sanctions and fines amounting to seven billion drachmas on contractors to remedy substandard work and has taken back contracts from 28 businesses. Athens News Agency[28] Karamanlis cites 'obsolete fixations' by gov't over state's role, private sectorAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis yesterday criticised the government's economic policies during a one-day conference entitled "development with a better state and less taxes", organised by ND in Athens.Mr. Karamanlis said it is clear today more than ever that the Simitis government insists on "obsolete fixations regarding the role of the state and private sector." He added that the government is "not in sync" with the international environment and expectations of the Greek people, adding that it defends a "reactionary system in the throes of death and fighting a rear-guard battle." Mr. Karamanlis said the government has failed to handle tax burdens. He went on to analyse his party's proposals on the economy, stating that ND supports tax cuts, fair taxation and the simplification of the tax system, while adding that Greece needs development, restructuring of the public administration, restitution of the state's credibility and elevation of the private sector as the basic engine of development. Mr. Karamanlis finally said ND is ready to govern the country and to give Greece "an honest and effective government. Athens News Agency[29] "Int'l shipping conference in Piraeus commencesAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Merchant Marine Minister Stavros Soumakis yesterday said that the shipping industry was in need of reorganisation.Mr. Soumakis, in his opening address to the 16th annual International Meeting in Piraeus, organised by the Piraeus Marine Club and the City University Business School of London, said it was imperative that the shipping sector be ready for the transition from the drachma to the euro. "Shipping, as the most globalised industry and activity, is subject to and directly affected by international changes and economic crisis...the impact of such crisis was and still is immediate and clear, such as imbalances in the cargo market, low shipp ing rates and reductions in the prices of ships, which have led to the overturn of a fragile balance in the shipping sector, causing many problems to many shipping companies," he said. BritainYs ambassador to Athens, Sir Michael Llewellyn Smith, who also addressed the meeting, referred to the special relations between Greece and Britain, saying that the strong ties were owed to the long-standing relations of trust and solidarity betwe en the two countries. Athens News Agency[30] SECI agreement on SE Europe transports signed in AthensAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)An agreement for transports in southeastern Europe, part of the "SECI" initiative, was signed yesterday in Athens by Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Croatia, Moldova, Hungary, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Romania, Slovenia, Turkey and Greece.The agreement is aimed at a gradual deregulation of the international road transports market. The text of the agreement was put together by the Greek transport ministry. Athens News Agency[31] Petrol prices dropAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)The retail sales prices of gasoline and diesel will decrease as from today and for a week, the government announced.Decreases will be 3.10 drachmas per litre for super gasoline, 3.20 drachmas per litre for unleaded, 2.50 drachmas per litre for diesel and 2.20 drachmas per litre for heating oil (for quantities more than 1,000 litres). In the Attica area and Thessaloniki prefecture, super will cost 194.80 drachmas per litre, unleaded 178.30 drachmas per litre and heating oil 67.10 drachmas per litre (for quantities more than 1,000 litres). Athens News Agency[32] Athens Foreign ExchangeAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)Bank of Greece closing rates of: November 25, 1998Parities in Drachmas Banknotes Buying Selling US Dollar 282.720 289.275 Can.Dollar 182.528 186.760 Australian Dlr 181.541 185.750 Pound Sterling 470.208 481.110 Irish Punt 413.664 423.255 Pound Cyprus 562.841 575.891 Pound Malta 709.226 738.777 Turkish pound (100) 0.087 0.091 French franc 49.646 50.797 Swiss franc 201.773 206.451 Belgian franc 8.070 8.258 German Mark 166.458 170.317 Finnish Mark 54.758 56.028 Dutch Guilder 147.654 151.078 Danish Kr. 43.781 44.796 Swedish Kr. 34.928 35.738 Norwegian Kr. 37.835 38.712 Austrian Sh. 23.663 24.212 Italian lira (100) 16.813 17.203 Yen (100) 233.914 239.337 Spanish Peseta 1.957 2.003 Port. Escudo 1.625 1.663 Banknotes Buying Selling New York 282.720 289.275 Montreal 182.528 186.760 Sydney 181.541 185.750 London 470.208 481.110 Dublin 413.664 423.255 Nicosia 562.841 575.891 Paris 49.646 50.797 Zurich 201.773 206.451 Brussels 8.070 8.258 Frankfurt 166.458 170.317 Helsinki 54.758 56.028 Amsterdam 147.654 151.078 Copenhagen 43.781 44.796 Stockholm 34.928 35.738 Oslo 37.835 38.712 Vienna 23.663 24.212 Milan 16.813 17.203 Tokyo 233.914 239.337 Madrid 1.957 2.003 Lisbon 1.625 1.663 Athens News Agency[33] Authorities investigate claims that woman sold her 10 infantsAthens 26/11/1998 (ANA)A prosecutor in Serres yesterday began an investigation into claims by villagers in Neo Skopo that a local woman had been used as a surrogate mother on at least 10 occasions.The 36-year-old woman, identified only as "Stella S.", is thought to have given birth to at least 10 children which were then adopted by affluent but childless couples. Police are seeking the woman, whose whereabouts are unknown, for questioning. Villagers said they had noticed the woman, who occasionally worked in local bars, pregnant on at least 10 occasions, but that she did not live with any children. "Whenever we saw her pregnant, she refused to tell us who the father was," villagers said. Athens News AgencyAthens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |