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Wednesday, 4 December 2024 | ||
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-09-18Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM confers with Development MinisterPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis conferred on Thursday with Development Minister Christos Folias.Replying to press questions related to the fuel market afterwards, Folias said that a large team of inspectors from the General Secretariat for Commerce had earlier Thursday commenced purchase and sale price checks on petrol stations, adding that the inspections would continue in order to record any prospective distortions on the market. The minister added that, by the end of the month, the Competition Committee would submit a report arising for a broad dialogue it has opened, which was nearing completion, and its recommendations would be examined before the relevant decisions were made. He said that the ministry had asked for, and was collecting, cost data from every level of the fuel marketing chain, beginning at the refineries all the way to end-consumption. Folias continued that a strategy was being formulated with consistency and level-headedness, given that 'fire' extinguishing measures were insufficient, and that a long-term confrontation of the issue was necessary. The minister further added that an international research firm would be assigned the project of recording the course of fuel prices on the Greek market in conjuctiïn and comparison with the other EU countries. To another question, Folias expressed belief that fuel prices would soon begin falling at petrol stations. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis [02] KKE rails against OA planCommunist Party of Greece (KKE) secretary general Aleka Papariga on Thursday reiterated that her party wants to contribute to the popular classes' reaction against the privatisation of debt-ridden national carrier Olympic Airways (OA).Speaking a day after the EU Commission approved a Greek government plan to rescue, restructure and eventually privatise the ailing national carrier, Papariga said OA was being sold for the same reasons that public utilities, ports and airports are on sale, namely, EU directives and not because of their operating deficits and losses. Papariga also claimed that OA employees should not rely on government's promises that their jobs will be guaranteed. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Communist Party of Greece (KKE) secretary general Aleka Papariga. [03] 'Life beats cancer'Cancer is the second cause of death in Greece after cardiovascular diseases, with the numbers of its victims marking a steady increase, stated Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, presenting an action plan against cancer under the slogan "Life beats cancer".Avramopoulos said that cancer-related figures in other developed countries have been showing a decline in cancer-caused deaths from as early as the mid 80s, as opposed to Greece. The 108-million-euro action plan aims at boosting scientific research, create a national archive of malignant tumors, create new early diagnosis structures and programmes such as the founding of specialized mammography and Pap Test centres and improve home care for cancer patients. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |