Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-10-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM: Suprise visit to Development Ministry

[02] Papandreou refers to 'unprecedented crisis'

[01] PM: Suprise visit to Development Ministry

His visit is in the framework of surprise inspections that he will conduct at several Ministries in order to be informed on the spot on the progress in governmental actions and initiatives to combat the country's problems.

Deputy Development Minister George Vlachos will brief the premier on the situation prevailing in the markets and the actions of the Ministry to curb the high prices and high cost of living.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis

[02] Papandreou refers to 'unprecedented crisis'

Addressing a meeting of the PASOK Parliamentary group, Papandreou said that, in the face of "this crisis of institutions and credibility, which affects citizens' pockets, the people are turning their eyes to PASOK" and its plan for an exit from the crisis.

"Today, the Greek citizen can once again have hope in the forces of progress," Papandreou said, calling the results of recent opinion polls an "upset" that was "not a statistical upset, but a political upset".

"This political upset fills us with responsibilities. We know where we want to take the country, how we will take it there, and with whom," Papandreou said, adding that PASOK did not hide behind excuses, nor did it fear to acknowledge its own accountability.

He said an end must be put to the age in which a government can push people to the sidelines. "We must put an end to such rationales, with such governance," Papandreou said.

Referring to the draft 2009 state budget that was tabled in Parliament on Monday, Papandreou said it was an unjust and dead-end budget that was bringing Greece to the brink of probation (excessive deficit procedure) by the European Commission.

Instead of a plan for boosting incomes and advancing growth, the government has presented a "budget of taxes" that "detracts instead of adding incomes", and which "takes from the many instead of from those who have", a budget that "reduces expenditure on education, health, welfare, public investments, the periphery, the incomes of the working people and the pensioners".

Meanwhile, PASOK tabled in Parliament a draft law aimed at immediate amelioration of the problems it says are plaguing Greek citizens.

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