Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-12-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] 2010 budget adopted; PM says 'things must change'

[01] 2010 budget adopted; PM says 'things must change'

Conluding a five-day Parliamentary debate, Prime Minister George Papandreou said late Wednesday night that his government had transparency as condition of governance.

Papandreou reiterated that his government was determined to "change things in the country...Those who search to downgrade our great institutional reforms regarding the state should ask themselves why our efforts failed in the past."

The basic target of the government is, as the premier said, "apart from fiscal and economic adjustment, the regaining of the confidence of the citizen towards the state and re-establishing Greece's credibility in the eyes of its European partners."

"We should, all together, prepare a strict timeframe regarding necessary reforms," Papandreou said.

The principles that would govern the budgets of the new government and their implementation are transparency, rentability and fair taxation for a fair redistribution of wealth, the premier said.

"In this difficult conjuncture, all must contribute according to their capability. Because there are 500,000 unemployed that need real support, and social inequalities provoke tensions," the premier said.

Referring to the government's work since its coming to office last October, Papandreou said the cabinet has already approved nine bills, and added that the difference between his PASOK government and the previous New Democracy government was not quantitave "but concerns the orientation it serves: Who is being served by it. Our option is crystal clear: We serve the Greek citizen and only him."

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