Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-06-30

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] Finmin says IT, 'e-government' a strategic priority for reforming public sector

[02] Gov't proceeds with implementation of new CAP

[03] British art exhibition at Goulandris Museum on Andros

[04] SYN leader Alavanos visits Lamia

[01] Finmin says IT, 'e-government' a strategic priority for reforming public sector

Alogoskoufis, speaking during the midst of a crucial week with the tabling and expected vote on a ground-breaking amendment to unify and reform the bank sector pension system, addressed delegates during the 3rd E-Government Forum, entitled "Government of the Future", an event sponsored by the "Economist" group.

"In Greece, unfortunately, the concepts of a Society of Information and e-government, because of a lack of consistent planning during the first three years of the 3rd Community Support Framework's (CSF) implementation, were considered as a jumbled sum of IT projects in the public sector, which by some magical manner were expected to ensure an improvement in the state's productivity, simply transforming 'wooden' stamps into electronic ones," the minister said.

In pointing to a consistent theme enunciated by ruling New Democracy (ND) prior to the March 2004 general elections that brought ND to power, and repeatedly cited afterwards by the Karamanlis government's ministers, Alogoskoufis emphasised that new technologies also comprise a "primary tool for adopting more transparent procedures to curb corruption".

While indirectly criticising the previous PASOK government for what he called oversights in implementing information technology in the public sector, the minister said his government has doubled the number of related contracts for IT projects in the past few months and reached up to 60 percent higher EU funding absorption rates compared to the 2000-03 period.

"... the government, via the IT committee, will unveil a new 'digital strategy' for the country during the next planning period, 2007-2013 ... The new digital strategy will place the citizen, whether he or she is a businessperson, student, employee or whatever, at the centre of the Information Society programme," he said.

The government's top economic planner cited a new investment law, existing operational programmes and an envisioned law laying down the groundwork for public/private partnerships as the tools necessary to boost development.

"Greece, despite the fact that it lost valuable time over the past decade in terms of exploiting information technology and e-government, can now find its pace. In order to achieve this it must exploit every possible tool within the framework of a digital strategy being prepared by the government," he concluded.

[02] Gov't proceeds with implementation of new CAP

Speaking to reporters a day after an inner Cabinet meeting approved a plan to fully disconnect EU subsidies from domestic farm production, Basiakos said the ministry would begin notifying all interested parties of their rights beginning July until the end of the year. Private rights (subsidy payments) will be introduced from April 2006.

The Greek minister also announced the beginning of a regional survey around the country on farming prospects. "We will never tell anyone to cultivate specific products or not. These surveys will offer farmers the necessary preconditions to decide for themselves," he added.

Basiakos noted that according to OECD estimates, farm product prices were expected to fall to the benefit of consumers, while he also said he expected a slight decline in farm production in the country.

[03] British art exhibition at Goulandris Museum on Andros

The exhibition, organised in collaboration with the British Council and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, was inaugurated last Saturday and will run until September 25. It consists of 61 works of art using oils, acrylics, etchings, sculpture, reliefs and mixed techniques that are considered representative of the various trends that marked the British art scene during the tumultuous '60s.

[04] SYN leader Alavanos visits Lamia

Alavanos did not conceal his concern over the region's de-industrialisation and accused the president of the Federation of Greek Industries (SEB), Odysseas Kyriakopoulos, of acting as a teacher for political parties with impermissible, unacceptable and arrogant proposals.

The Coalition party leader also commented on the debate on public administration which took place in Parliament on Tuesday, saying that "we saw play-station type cowboy acts yesterday which were distant from the problems of public administration, contract workers and the problems of citizens to which they are showing strong contempt."

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