Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-02-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] FinMin unveils three export policy targets

[02] Papandreou: Gov't policy fuels citizens' insecurity

[01] FinMin unveils three export policy targets

"We all aknowledge weakness in the domestic banking system but we will not encourage moves to reduce competition," Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis said on Wednesday. Addressing a meeting of the National Export Council, the Greek minister stressed that Greece must stop its inward looking adding "we must look outwards".

Alogoskoufis noted it was not enough to become competitive in cost terms but to achieve a greater percentage of know-how and quality and to adopt more effective methods to boost exports. The Greek minister said the government's main export policy targets were:

-Focusing on large foreign markets,

-Coordinating agency actions and

-Promoting an advertising campaign of Greek products abroad.

Alogoskoufis underlined that much work still needed to be done to boost Greek exports and praised the role of the Export Promotion Organisation in efforts to promote Greek products abroad.

He urged the National Export Council to agree on a "National Business Delegations Programme" and said that a total of 31 business delegations have been scheduled for the current year.

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[02] Papandreou: Gov't policy fuels citizens' insecurity

Papandreou, who on Wednesday marked the second anniversary of his assumption of PASOK's leadership, said the government of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was perpetuating the "insecurity of the Greek citizens", and was not protecting incomes, democratic rights or the democratic institutions, and was also not ensuring the proper and smooth operation of institutions.

Turning to the ongoing phone-tapping furor dominating the country's political developments, Papandreou said that every time relevant ministers spoke, suspicions that the truth was being concealed were confirmed, while he cited what he described as "inconsistencies" in statements made by a pair of ministers during Tuesday's meeting of a parliamentary committee on institutions and transparency.

He was referring to the briefing by Public Order Minister George Voulgarakis and Justice Minister Anastasis Papaligouras.

PASOK, he said, demanded that the entire truth be revealed, adding that beyond the legal aspects of the case, there were also immense political responsibilities for the prime minister as well as the relevant ministers.

Papandreou said the prime minister also had increased responsibilities vis-?-vis as series of major problems affecting citizens, such as unemployment, high prices and the decline in incomes.

Karamanlis, he continued, was occupying himself with a government reshuffle "which for months is in the process of being reshuffled", and "it appears that this is his top priority".

Conversely, Papandreou said PASOK's priority was the problems faced by the citizens, the economy, the "attack" on incomes, and what he called the country's "wrong course" on the international stage.

He said that in the two years since his assumption of the PASOK's helm, the party had made "leaps", which he attributed to collective efforts.

Government reaction

In a later reply to Papandreou's comments, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos merely noted that "the policy of major structural reforms will continue, because this is what Greek citizens demanded in the 2004 election, and because this guarantees a strong and competitive economy, an economy that generates more jobs, greater national wealth and a greater social dividend."

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