Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-04-05

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] Gov't releases funds for Athens Olympics projects

[02] ATHOC chief briefs PM on progress of preparations for the Olympic Games

[03] Greek fiscal deficit to reach 2.95 pct in 2003, FinMin says

[04] Weather Forecast: Warm and sunny on Tuesday

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Tuesday

[06] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise, fuelled by markets abroad

[01] Gov't releases funds for Athens Olympics projects

Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis on Monday endorsed the release of 558.9million euros in project funds for the Athens Olympics this year.

The sum covers spending for 2004 and debts from 2003 in the form of delayed payments to contractors involved in Olympic projects whose clearance was requested by Alternate Culture Minister Fani Palli-Petralia, the finance ministry said in a statement.

In addition, due for incorporation into the Olympics budget are supplementary funds for projects and other works including landscaping and access-ways, the statement said.

The sum of 558.9 million euros includes project overlays of 66 million euros, which the culture ministry recently undertook as the amount had not so far been incorporated into any ministry budget.

The points were agreed at a meeting between Alogoskoufis and Palli-Petralia earlier in the day.

According to sources, the two also discussed the terms of a 1.5 billion euro loan obtained by the previous government from the European Investment Bank.

[02] ATHOC chief briefs PM on progress of preparations for the Olympic Games

Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organising Committee (ATHOC) President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki visited Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis at the Maximos Mansion on Monday evening and briefed him on the course of preparations for the Olympic Games which, as she said after the meeting, is progressing well.

The ATHOC chief stressed that ''the prime minister is observing step-by-step all the preparation and is a helper in this very difficult work which we have undertaken. As long as we act with passion and with great will, we believe that things will develop well.''

Replying to a reporter's question on whether the Calatrava roof at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex constitutes a headache, Daskalaki said ''we will be having many headaches until the Games!''

Concluding, she noted that ''the issue is the days of the Games, when the Olympic Village opens, when the Press Centre opens, when all the world will come, for us to be able to show all the work we have done all these years.''

[03] Greek fiscal deficit to reach 2.95 pct in 2003, FinMin says

Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis on Monday said he was confident that the country's 2003 fiscal deficit would reach 2.95 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and added that the ministry would make coordinated efforts to keep the deficit below the 3.0 percent limit set by the EU's Stability Pact.

The Greek minister predicted that GDP growth would reach 4.2 percent in 2003 and said that a fiscal discipline poliyc, sought by the new government, would not undermine the top priority aim of ensuring successful Olympic Games.

Speaking to reporters, Alogoskoufis said that according to early forecasts the country's fiscal deficit was nearing 2.95 percent of GDP in 2003 and added that the government was aiming to keep the deficit below the 3.0 percent limit set by the EU.

The Greek minister declined to answer to journalists' questions whether the European Commission would addres a warning over Greece's fiscal deficit.

A total of six EU member-states are currently facing problems with their high fiscal deficits (France, Germany, UK, Italy and Holland).

[04] Weather Forecast: Warm and sunny on Tuesday

Warm, sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country with some scattered cloud in the west and north. Winds south-southwesterly, moderate, turning strong at sea. Temperatures in Athens from 8C to 21C and in Thessaloniki between 6C and 17C.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Tuesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.215

Pound sterling 0.668

Danish kroner 7.506

Swedish kroner 9.266

Japanese yen 127.3

Swiss franc 1.579

Norwegian kroner 8.440

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.596

Australian dollar 1.612

[06] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise, fuelled by markets abroad

The Athens bourse finished higher on Monday, fuelled by rises in markets abroad, traders said.

The general share index gained 1.95 per cent to end at 2,419.07 points. Turnover was 116.1 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 2.04 per cent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 1.54 per cent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities gained 1.41 per cent.

Of stocks traded, advances led declines at 220 to 85 with 56 issues remaining unchanged.

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