Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-06-10
CONTENTS
[01] PM Karamanlis confers with FinMin on high prices
[01] PM Karamanlis confers with FinMin on high prices
Prime minister Costas Karamanlis conferred on Tuesday with economy and
finance minister George Alogoskoufis, with talks focusing on the
problem of soaring prices in oil and foods internationally.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Alogoskoufis said the discussed the
high cost of living, as well as the stock market turbulence and the
spiralling prices of oil and food internationally, which he explained
also impacted inflation and the public, and particularly the lower
income brackets.
Alogoskoufis said that, in tandem with initiatives being taken at
international level, steps were also being taken in Greece for better
control of prices in order to avoid large increases, but also for
supporting the lower incomes.
He noted that increases have also been made to the EKAS (benefit for
low pensions) and to the OGA (farmers' social security/pension fund)
pensions, as well as tax reliefs for the middle incomes, while the
newly-established fund for combatting poverty through targeted measures
for the low incomes would begin operation in September.
To a question on the late-night abduction of Federation of Industries
of Northern Greece (SBBE) president George Mylonas by unidentified
gunmen in Thessaloniki, Alogoskoufis expressed sorrow, and the hope
that the Greek Police (ELAS) would quckly locate the abductors and
bring the affair to a positive end.
Caption: File photo of prime minister Costas Karamanlis. (ANA-MPA/M.
Marogianni)
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