Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-11-23

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Pension increases above inflation rate in 2006

[01] Pension increases above inflation rate in 2006

Karamanlis stressed that the economy was facing serious fiscal problems inherited from the past that had to be dealt with, in order to lay strong foundations for growth, boost employment and increase social cohesion.

"Policies that ignore reality and don't take tomorrow into account harbour even greater problems for those with the greatest needs, such as the unemployed, low-paid and pensioners," he stressed.

Karamanlis noted that the government put priority on the problems of pensioners and said that the utmost would be done within the limits of the budget in order to give pension increases that comfortably covered inflation and to further boost those on low pensions.

He also noted that payments of refunds to pensioners for the illegally withheld LAFKA levy would begin in 2006, pointing out that this was yet another boost to pensioners' incomes and one of the many problems from the past that was now being solved. He said the total amount going to pensioners through the refund was between 750-800 million euros.

According to the president of the IKA pensioners union Diamantis Mavrodoglou, however, the prime minister had said that the government would only look into pensioners demands after 2007 and would satisfy them based on the performance of the measures taken to improve the economy.

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