The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 10-09-13

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] New School Year Begins

New school year for 1.300.000 students and 160.000 teachers began on Monday, September, 13 with the customary blessing ceremony. No teacher vacancies have been recorded in the Peloponnese. Archbishop of Athens Ieronymos, in the presence of Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou, officiated the blessing (agiasmos) at the Sivitanideios School. Archbishop Ieronymos, who is the president of Sivitanideios school board, welcomed the students and wished them health and zest for work. On her part, Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou reassured of regular hours operation in all schools nationwide. She said that all teacher vacancies will be covered this week. She also suggested political confrontations to stay away from schools.

Specifically referring to education issues, Mrs. Diamantopoulou said: "teacher vacancies are much less compared to any other school year and will be covered this week".

"After low- salary earners and low pensioners, Education and Health are the big victims of the Memorandum government", said ND president Antonis Samaras, who attended the blessing ceremony for the opening of the new school year at 28th Pagrati High School.

"The education sector will be hit without remorse and teachers will feel the impact of the attack as factory workers feel it", said GCP general secretary Aleca Papariga in her speech delivered at the 20th Peristeri High School.

"I have gained very much from this school and I owe it even more. I wish all students happy school year", said LAOS president George Karatzaferis who visited Paleo Faliro 1st High School.

"The government, as an opposition party last year promised different things, has fully adopted IMF instructions for the education field", said SYRIZA president Alexis Tsipras in his speech at the Thessaloniki Interculture Lyceum.

Traffic police are carrying out inspections in school buses and strict fines -even suspension of driving license and car plates- will be issued to violators.

Sources: ÍÅÔ, ÍÅÔ 105.8 News item: 40782

[02] Strauss-Kahn: Greek Economy on Positive Course

IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, in his meeting with Greek prime-minister G. Papandreou on the sidelines of the International Labour Organization (ILO) meeting in Oslo, made positive comments on the course of Greece's economy. They also spoke about combat of tax evasion and broadening tax scale in a fair way. We must assume the responsibility to exit from the financial crisis with a strong social system, underlined George Papandreou in his speech. On his part, European Commissioner for Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn underlined the particularly high significance of structural reforms in Greece.

"To Strengthen Social State"

The social state is not the problem of the financial crisis said Mr. Papandreou during morning discussion at a conference on "The Challenges of Growth, Employment and Social Cohesion hosted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the Norwegian capital Oslo.

The Greek Prime-minister said Democracies are facing challenges and stressed the necessity for the "inflow of oxygen" to institutions through the combat of intransparency and corruption. He cited the responsibility to deal with state debts and deficits but stressed the need for parallel growth and generation of jobs. Mr. Papandreou referred to the drop in state deficit and underlined that Greek people supported the government measures although they brought cuts in salaries and pensions.

"We took measures that should have been taken decades ago", said the Prime-minister referring to the social agreement between trade unions and employer organizations at the beginning of summer.

Mr. Papandreou maintained that a dialogue should be always open without exclusion of citizenry adding that "demonstrations are part of our democracy and I could be among demonstrators". He also underlined that mass media sometimes inflate some parts of demonstrations.

Other issues the prime-minister referred to include full transparency regarding administration decisions, merger of municipalities provided by the "Kallikratis" plan and reforms in the education system which is a priority of the Greek government.

The Prime-minister underlined that "green economy" is the only production model to deal with global warming which will also bring growth and generate jobs. He said Greece was the ideal place for the development of "green" investments. He also stressed the need for the citizens training on the new economy, and repeated his proposal for the financing of "green" development through "economic tools" such as "green " bonds, Tobin and coal tax.

Regarding the new generation, the Prime-minister spoke of youth with high professional and scientific training and youth who emigrate. Pessimism must be combated and tell the youth to assume the responsibility to change the country. " We must teach the youth to use knowledge as a tool and support their initiatives", concluded the prime-minister.

Sources: Reuters, ÍÅÔ, ÍÅÔ 105.8, ÁNA-ÌPA News item: 40794

[03] Troika Delegation in Athens

Troika junior officials arrive in Athens on Monday to record the execution course of the Memorandum in the third quarter in 2010. Talks with Greek officials will center on how to rise the significanly low revenues, required interventions in state companies and organizations as well as in the broader public sector where further needs in the part of expenses is created. Reports say that sharp slide in State guarantee of Public organizations (DEKO) loans may bring a new rise of 1.5 billion euros in state deficit while 2011 state budget will have additional problems. This is one of the reasons the memorandum revised text, signed last Tuesday in Brussels, provides for the creation of a central registry of all state companies till December.

Disbursal of 2nd Installment

A Troika delegation will visit Athens at the of October to acknowledge whether Greece is materializing commitments included in the memorandum to give green light for the allocation of the rescue package third installment.

In the meantime, the second installment of the Rescue Package mounting to 9 billion euros will be disbursed today Monday or the latest tomorrow.

G.Papakonstantinou Visits European Capitals to Attract Investors

In the meantime, the Finance Ministry leadership in cooperation with Troika officials will pay visits to European capitals as of tomorrow on the one hand to convince that Greece is materializing necessary reforms and on the other hand to attract foreign investments. Within this context, Finance Minister George Papakonstantinou accompanied by officials from his ministry and the Public Debt Management Agency will visit London on Tuesday, Paris on Wednesday and Frankfurt on Thursday. Mr. Papakonstantinou will present developments in Greece economy and the materialization of memorandum commitments and will invite investors in sectors the government is accelerating reforms and privatizations.

Source: ÍÅÔ 105.8 News item: 40785

[04] Fuel Price Ceiling

The government has imposed price ceiling on fuel to avert profiteering due to high demand on fuel in view of mobilizations in the transport sector. Following a joint decision of the Ministries of Economics, Development and Energy higher price of unleaded petrol in Attica and Thessaloniki as of today is set at â¬1,473 per liter, super unleaded at â¬1,701, diesel â¬1,282 and super ⬠1,561. Truck and tanker truck owners, who plan to go ahead with work cease, have parked their vehicles along the entrances of Athens-Korinthos and Athens-Lamia highways .

Gas station owners who violate the price ceiling will be referred to first instance court. Supreme Court Prosecutor has given instructions for strict implementation of decision underlining the need to protect consumers.

Sources: ÍÅÔ, ÍÅÔ 105.8

News item: 40784

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