Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-01-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] Economic reforms to start yielding in 2006, FinMin says

[01] Economic reforms to start yielding in 2006, FinMin says

Presenting his ministry's priorities and goals for the new year, Alogoskoufis said the government was steadfast in its goal to reducing the country's fiscal deficit below 3.0 percent of Gross Domestic Product and said he expected yields from reforms in:

-changes introduced in public sector enterprises,

-promotion of joint ventures between public and private sector enterprises,

-privatisations, focusing mainly in banks, with priorities the listing of Post Savings Bank in the stock market, selling a new stake in AgrotikiBank and a further privatisation of Emporiki Bank.

Alogoskoufis said the government would continue a dialogue on reforming the pension system, promoting a new law on reforming physical persons' taxation, establishing a new framework for a Fourth Community Support Framework Programme and persisting with combatting tax evasion.

He also announced new legislative initiatives aimed to form a new agency for fiscal supervision, a new framework aimed to achieve a more efficient use of the public sector's real estate assets and supporting a National Export Council.

Alogoskoufis said a total of 1,100 applications for private investments, worth 2.3 billion euros, have been submitted so far and that 526 of the have been approved by the government, worth 817 million euros. These investments are expected to create 3,082 new jobs around the country. Fiscal restructuring and growth were the government's top priorities, Alogoskoufis said. Commenting on a recent rally of prices in the Athens Stock Exchange, the Greek minister said everyone should remember what happened in 1999 and 2000.

Alogoskoufis said the government should seek to approve the highest possible increases in its incomes policy, in the context of the state budget.

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