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Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-04-05Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Meeting on Fiscal Adjustment Framework(ANA-MPA) -- Economic issues and the Medium-Term Fiscal Adjustment Framework were discussed during an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by prime minister George Papandreou at his office in parliament on Monday evening, according to sources.The sources said that the meeting was attended by finance minister George Papaconstantinou, interior, decentralisation and e-governance minister Yiannis Ragoussis, government spokesman George Petalotis, and culture and tourism minister Pavlos Geroulanos, as well as ruling PASOK's parliamentary spokesmen Petros Efthymiou and Christos Protopapas. (ANA-MPA) More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form  [02] Samaras tours local shopping district(ANA-MPA) -- Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras on Tuesday toured the main shopping district in the greater Athens area municipality of Nea Ionia, where he was briefed by shopowners and local residents on the problems they face, as well as business owners' complaints over the economic downturn.Samaras called on the government to "finally comprehend the problems that exist" and to proceed with a change of policy. Consumers, he said, have stopped going to the shops. "The situation has reached the point of no return, and I wonder what needs to happen for the government to realise this and change its heartless economic policy, which is creating this deficit in social cohesion". "The Greek society has been deeply wounded," Samaras said, and urged the people to support their local societies and local markets. (ANA-MPA) More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form  [03] Ministers of 4 EU countries express concern over impact of illegal migration on public healthVIENNA (ANA-MPA - D. Dimitrakoudis) Four European Union ministers - among them Greek Health Minister Andreas Loverdos - on Tuesday asked the European Commission to take the necessary action to safeguard public health from the dangers posed by illegal migrants.The issue was raised by the health ministers of Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Italy at an informal meeting of EU health ministers held in Budapest. (ANA-MPA) Noting the links between public health and illegal migration, the minister expressed concern about the repercussions of uncontrolled migration on public health due to the "very different epidemiological profile" of the populations arriving to those of the EU. They call for measures to assist countries receiving large numbers of illegal migrants, in collaboration with the European Centre for the Prevention and Control of Diseases and the European bureau of the World Health Organisation. The four ministers also note that a meeting in Rome on April 13 on this issue will be useful for launching such cooperation. (ANA-MPA) More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form  [04] Athens-area hotels report mixed occupancy rates figures for Feb.(ÁÍÁ-MPA) -- To view the article please call the ANA-MPA's subscription department at 2106400560.More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form  [05] Subs probe to Parliament; questions about Tsohatzopoulos(ANA-MPA) -- Supreme Court deputy prosecutor Athanasios Katsirodis on Tuesday sent the files of an investigation into the purchase of German-made submarines by the Hellenic Navy to Parliament, asking MPs to look into the actions of former PASOK minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos and other members of the government of that time.Katsirodis asks Parliament to investigate whether there is any culpability on the part of Tsohatzopoulos and other members of the government that decided to directly award the contract for the building of the four 214-type submarines to the German company HDW/Ferrostaal without holding an international tender. The prosecutor also asks Parliament to look into the contract awarded directly to the same company for the building of three Poseidon-class submarines, as well as the signing of an agreement for offset benefits linked to the same contract. The two investigations concern the periods 1998-2002 and 2002-2009. (ANA-MPA) More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form  [06] Collection of antique children's toys on display(ANA-MPA) -- A private collection of objects dating back to the 18th century unveils the magical world of children's toys in an exhibition hosted by the Association of Secondhand Dealers in Thessaloniki to run on April 7-10.The impressive collection, that belongs to secondhand goods' dealer Ioannis Vavatsis, numbers 8,500 items he purchased from Greek and foreign markets over the past 20 years. The oldest object on display is a children's book printed in 1790. Vavatsis keeps the collection at his antique shop and he aspires to create a Children's Museum where it can be housed permanently. Caption: ANA-MPA photo / N. ARVANITIDIS More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form  [07] SEEPE: Tanker sector remains closed(ANA-MPA) -- The privately owned fuel trucks sector remains closed four months after a high-profile law opening the road freight market was passed in Parliament, and considering that the issuance of a relevant joint ministerial decision is still pending, a statement by Hellenic Petroleum Marketing Companies Association (SEEPE) charged on Tuesday.SEEPE underlined that the general secretariat for transports had given assurances that a joint ministerial decision would be issued no later than two months after the publication of the relevant law. The association also referred to the irrevocable decision issued by the Council of State, Greece's highest administrative court, in favour of the abolition of any restrictions in the acquisition of licenses for privately owned fuel trucks. The European Commission had taken Greece to the European Court of Justice on the same issue in October 2009, while the opening of road freight market is included in the memorandum as well, the statement underlined. (ANA-MPA) More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form  [08] FinMin: Gov't steadfast on reform(ANA-MPA) -- The government will continue the implementation of a fiscal adjustment programme with consistency and determination, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou told an international venture capital forum that opened in Athens on Tuesday.Papaconstantinou told the opening session of the two-day 11th International Venture Capital and Private Equity Forum that the Greek government will continue its fiscal adjustment program, reducing the mistakes and missed targets that are inevitable in such an effort. The finance minister also spoke of the "doom-sayers" that do not correctly interpret and do not give solutions to the problems, warning that all other paths proposed lead only to bankruptcy and impasses. Greece, he said, is at a turning point in which recovery has begun, exports were posting a significant increase, and a recovery was also observed in business confidence. The Greek society is not disposed to listening to easy solutions, he added. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form  [09] Consumer Confidence index up(ANA-MPA)-The Greek consumer confidence index recovered for the third consecutive month in March to -66.2 points, from -67.3 points in February, the Institute for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) said on Tuesday.IOBE, in a monthly economic outlook report, said positive results of an EU Summit in March 11 which eradicated fears of a Greek bankruptcy, helped in the improvement of consumer sentiment in the country. Greek consumers, however, remained the most pessimistic in Europe for a period of more than one year, followed by Romanian, Portuguese, Bulgarian and Maltese consumers.(ANA-MPA) More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form  [10] Stocks end slightly lowerStocks ended slightly lower in the Athens Stock Exchange, extending their decline for the seventh consecutive session on Tuesday. The composite index of the market eased 0.20 pct to end at 1,489.46 points with turnover shrinking to 79.899 million euros. The Big Cap index fell 0.14 pct, the Mid Cap index ended 0.60 pct down and the Small Cap index fell 0.66 pct. Cyprus Bank (3.28 pct), OTE (1.32 pct) and Marfin Popular Bank (1.18 pct) were top gainers among blue chip stocks, while Piraeus Bank (2.29 pct), Titan (1.73 pct) and National Bank (1.0 pct) were major losers. The Chemicals (4.37 pct) and Telecommunications (1.32 pct) sectors scored gains, while Media (4.94 pct) and Health (3.24 pct) suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day.Broadly, decliners led advancers by 82 to 69 with another 53 issues unchanged. Vivere (27.4 pct), Altec (16.67 pct), AEGEK (11.11 pct) and Thrace Plastics (9.62 pct) were top gainers, while Edrasi (14.29 pct), Imperio (13.33 pct) and Unibios (12.5 pct) were top losers. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |