Read the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (20 November 1989) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Thursday, 28 March 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-02-05

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

  • [01] EU, Greek laws make no provision for legislating 'in advance," Kammenos says
  • [02] ND's Bakoyannis to ANA: 'Greece can't afford a 3rd failed negotiation'
  • [03] Farmers block national highway at Tempi for two hours in 'symbolic protest'
  • [04] Charitsis: Conclusion of 2nd review must be 'politically, socially and economically tolerable'

  • [01] EU, Greek laws make no provision for legislating 'in advance," Kammenos says

    There is no provision in either European or domestic law for the legislation of "precautionary" measures in advance, Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said in an interview published by the Greek newspaper "Real News" on Sunday.

    The head of the Independent Greeks (ANEL) party, the junior partner in Greece's coalition government, said that the government was determined that there could be no reduction in the tax-free allowance without a simultaneous reduction in VAT rates or the ENFIA real estate tax, or business taxes, in order to promote growth.

    He also ruled out any further change to salary scales in the armed forces and security forces, noting that the military and police had already been subjected to swingeing cuts.

    [02] ND's Bakoyannis to ANA: 'Greece can't afford a 3rd failed negotiation'

    Greece urgently needs to reform and modernise its tax system, making it fairer, simpler and more friendly to businesses and entrepreneurs, main opposition New Democracy MP and shadow minister for growth Dora Bakoyannis said in an exclusive interview with Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) journalist Dimitris Harontakis.

    In the interview published on Sunday, she also underlined that the country cannot afford a third failed round of negotiations or a repetition of the summer of 2015. ND was calling for early elections, she added, "because the country is sinking deeper with every passing day."

    Asked whether ND's stance was "compatible" with the current critical stage of negotiations with the creditors, when the government was struggling to conclude the 2nd review of the programme, Bakoyannis pointed out that the review should have ended a year ago.

    "This delay, as with the previous ones, burdens Greek citizens all the more," she said, noting that the never-ending negotiations and government "posturing" have cost Greece an unnecessary third memorandum and measures amounting to eight billion euros the first time, then a 'hyperfund' binding state assets for 99 years and an 'automatic fiscal adjustment mechanism' the second time. Greece could not afford a third such negotiation outcome, she added.

    The country needed elections because the business climate was daily deteriorating, there could be no investments and growth and ordinary Greeks were unable to keep up with their obligations, she said.

    Bakoyannis disagreed with the government's forecasts for a return to growth, saying the economy was far from a sustainable recovery. "The marginal growth at the end of 2016 is to be expected, as a consequence of a 'normalisation' of economic life after the economy's collapse in 2015 and the imposition of capital controls," she pointed out.

    "Achieving high rates of growth over many years, which the country urgently needs, requires structural reforms on a grand scale, to which the current government is unfortunately allergic," she noted, pointing out that Greece has recently slipped five place in world competitiveness rankings.

    Bakoyannis said Greece needs a national restructuring plan for a transition to a new production model, whose main basis will be to broaden the productive base, boost healthy and export-oriented enterprises, promote commercial goods and create a business-friendly environment.

    Asked whether ND will be in a position to fulfil its pledge to cut taxes, even without the creditors' consent if necessary, Bakoyannis said she was confident an ND government would be able to convince the creditors to agree by showing it takes reforms and privatisations seriously.

    "It is, in any case, imperative to urgently change the current policy 'mix' that puts emphasis on taxes rather than cutting public spending. It is a political choice burdened by ideological obsessions that acts as a deterrent to attracting investments, ignoring the global environment and conditions of tax competition in southern Europe," she pointed out, while promising that cuts would target "wasteful spending" and not the protection provided to weaker members of society.

    She said ND has prepared a series of carefully planned reforms to modernise and simplify the tax system, which aim to improve the business environment, broaden the tax base and fight tax evasion. It also had reforms aimed at improving public administration, reforming the justice system and supporting the markets, she added.

    [03] Farmers block national highway at Tempi for two hours in 'symbolic protest'

    Protesting farmers from the Nikaia roadblock used their tractors to blockade the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway at the Tempi valley on Sunday, at about 14:30. The farmers said the road would be blocked for roughly two hours in a "symbolic protest," indicating their readiness to escalate protest action.

    The farmers said their plans include new roadblocks and better coordinated action to create a united front, with the participation of all farmer protest roadblocks in various parts of Greece. To this end, the Nikaia farmers invited protesting farmers throughout the country to attend a meeting taking place in Nikaia next Tuesday at noon.

    Meanwhile, the main roadblock set up at Nikaia remains, blocking the lanes of the national highway heading toward Athens, while the national highway also remains closed at Platykambos, where farmers have blocked lanes to Thessaloniki since Friday.

    [04] Charitsis: Conclusion of 2nd review must be 'politically, socially and economically tolerable'

    The government was striving to complete the second review of Greece's adjustment programme as soon as possible, but not in "any way that would allow it to remain in power," Alternate Economy and Development Minister Alexis Charitsis said in an interview published on Sunday.

    "The completion of the second review by us can only happen if it is politically, economically and socially tolerable," he told the Greek newspaper "Epochi".

    The government was working hard to conclude the review but "not in a way that further injures society, will cancel established European rights in labour relations and undermine the country's growth prospects," he said.

    Monday's meeting of the International Monetary Fund's Executive Board, he added, will indicate what role the IMF will play in the near future. He also stressed that the government must avoid entering a "process of extended negotiations."

    "We are at a critical point where things must be cleared up," he said.


    Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
    Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    ana2html v2.01 run on Sunday, 5 February 2017 - 17:38:06 UTC