Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-03-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK: entire government to blame for bonds issue

[02] âAthinaâ pilot system for theatre productions launched

[03] Alogoskoufis stresses healthy EU economy

[04] SYN to hold open meeting Tuesday

[01] PASOK: entire government to blame for bonds issue

"The plundering of the funds is a major political responsibility that burdens the government in its entirety and the prime minister first and foremost and is not just an issue for which the employment ministry and [employment minister] Savvas Tsitouridis are solely responsible," PASOK spokesman Petros Efthymiou said on Monday.

He stressed that the second ministry directly involved in the affair was the economy and finance ministry.

Commenting on Monday's meeting at the finance ministry, Efthymiou described it as "doubly incomprehensible".

The spokesman raised questions about why the head of Greece's money-laundering watchdog George Zorbas - whose role was to monitor state transactions - was called to the meeting with the finance minister, who was the party being monitored.

"What Greek society demands is a stop to every form of cover-up and this means not just reaching in depth for the one and only specific recorded act up until now by the civil servants auxiliary pension fund (TEADY), via the 'Acropolis' rout and the 5 million euros commission, but also to bring to the surface all the corresponding hidden bonds, which according to the minimum estimates are 1.8 billion euros," Efthymiou said.

[02] âAthinaâ pilot system for theatre productions launched

In a press conference he gave on the theatre sector, he announced subsidies for theatres, while he made clarifications on the bill concerning Theatre and Dance which will be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday and is expected to be voted after Easter.

The System "Athina" is being implemented this year on a pilot basis from May 16-20 and will be repeated every year, during the same period, while in its complete form, it will be presented in 2008.

It is organised by the Hellenic Centre of the International Theatre Institute and by the culture ministry's Organisation for the Projection of Hellenic Culture.

Regarding the National Theatre and Dance Centre and its institutionalisation with the law of the state, Voulgarakis stated that the tabling of the relevant bill in Parliament coincides with the celebration of World Theatre Day.

As the culture minister stated, "it concerns a brave institutional initiative which aims at the complete restructuring of the theatrical and dance Greek reality."

[03] Alogoskoufis stresses healthy EU economy

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BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA/ Mary Aroni) - Greek Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis on Tuesday expressed his satisfaction over the good condition of the European economy and noted that in the case of Greece this development had a very favourable impact on unemployment.

Speaking to reporters, after an ECOFIN meeting in Brussels , the Greek minister said Greece enjoyed one of the highest growth rates among EU member-states in the last few years and as a result the unemployment rate fell below 9.0 pct of the workforce for the first time since 1998. Alogoskoufis said more than 40,000 new job positions were created in 2006.

The Greek governmentâs main priority was to support lower incomes and combating poverty, Alogoskoufis said, noting that the government has already announced the formation of a special fund, budgeted at 2.0 billion euros, to support all Greek citizens living below poverty levels.

The Greek minister reminded that the government has already offered significant increases in low pensions, along with a 22 percent rise in supplementary pension payment and an 18 percent increase in unemployment benefits. Real wages rose by 3.2 pct in 2004, 2.7 pct in 2005 and by 1.6 pct in 2006, while this yearâs rise is forecast at 3.0 pct.

The ECOFIN meeting in Brussels adopted a community directive to create a single financial market in the EU by 2010. The new directive will allow consumers to use their bank cards throughout the eurozone region under the terms valid in the country of origin. Additionally, bank cards could be used in any other European state. Creating a single financial market is expected to boost competition in the market. The directive needs approval from the European Parliament.

[04] SYN to hold open meeting Tuesday

In his speech, Alavanos is expected to make an extensive reference to SYN's action over the past three years while highlighted its participation in the educational movement, and in bringing affairs such as the the Pakistani abductions and the phone-tapping scandal to light, as well as the party's positions in favour of a separation of Church and State and allow same-sex marriages.

SYN's leader will also devote a large part of his speech to youth and its participation in the student movement, as well as to the renewal of his party and the need for unity within it, and collaboration with the forces of SYRIZA.

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