Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-04-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] 36 parties to vie in May 6 general elections

[02] Samaras unveils ND's economic platform

[03] FinMin meets with IMF chief in Washington

[04] More than one ton of cannabis seized, three arrested

[05] Sailboat with 60 illegal immigrants runs aground

[06] Greek deficit at 19.6bln euros in 2011

[01] 36 parties to vie in May 6 general elections

Areios Pagos will subsequently check the validity of the petitions.

[02] Samaras unveils ND's economic platform

ND's target, he said, is to "change everything both the system of governance and the growth model", adding that next month's elections would be the most critical since those of 1974 (after the collapse of the military dictatorship).

"Until now, we were spending borrowed money and putting our children into debt, we produced increasingly less and consumed increasingly more. This must change. Our democracy has a problem, the rights of the many are trodden on by the privileges of the few, the party armies are fighting against the private sector, the guilds are crushing those who are trying to live from the market," he said.amna

Samaras said that Greece "has wealth, its natural wealth, its mineral wealth, its energy reserves, but also the Greek acumen which, if we exploit these on the international markets, we will have growth".amna

He further announced that he will unveil the ND programme for changing the system of governance on Sunday.amna

Elaborating on the economic platform, Samaras rejected cuts of the so-called 13th and 14th salaries (full-salary Christmas bonus and half-salary Easter and summer holiday bonuses) in the private sector and further across-the-board cuts in pensions, and also pledged relief measures for loan-holders.

[03] FinMin meets with IMF chief in Washington

Speaking to reporters after the talks with Lagarde, Sahinidis said the discussion was held in a positive climate which he said was emerging following the approval of the programme and successful PSI.amna

He said the talks also included the recapitalisation of the Greek banks and the country's cooperation with the IMF and the other Troika members, while it also pointed out was the importance of completing the process of capital shielding so that the banks will be able to play their developmental role.amna

"Today, there is greater optimism for the country's exit from the crisis. We discussed the progress in the implementation of the programme and the execution of the budget in the first quarter of 2012, which is on target," Sahinidis added.amna

Sahinidis said he also had several meetings with IMF and US government officials, with whom he discussed a series of matters concerning current Greek and international economic developments.

[04] More than one ton of cannabis seized, three arrested

The Coast Guard, in a joint operation with the National Information Service (EYP), raided the apartment in Voula and arrested three people, including one woman, while a fourth accomplice, currently serving a prison sentence on the island of Chios, is also being charged in the case.amna

The four are alleged to be members of an international narcotics trafficking ring, and are charged with setting up a criminal organisation smuggling large quantities of cannabis into Greece on speedboats and subsequently smuggling the narcotics out of Greece to countries in western Europe in refrigerator trucks.amna

One of the suspects initially managed to escape but was arrested hours later in a private clinic in nearby Glyfada.

Authorities seized 1 ton and 89 kilograms of cannabis, 2 refrigerator trucks, a private car and 100,000 euros in cash.

[05] Sailboat with 60 illegal immigrants runs aground

The migrants were picked up by Coast Guard boats, which were alerted by local residents, and were put up at municipal facilities and provided with food and water.amna

The sailboat's skipper managed to flee and is being sought.

[06] Greek deficit at 19.6bln euros in 2011

ELSTAT announced the fiscal data for the years 2008‐2011 compiled in the context of the first Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP) notification of 2012, which was transmitted to Eurostat in fulfillment of Greece's obligations according to Council Regulation (EC) 479/2009, as amended. The notification was compiled in cooperation with Eurostat.amna

According to provisional source data, the deficit of the General Government for 2011, as measured under the EDP, is estimated at 19.6 billion euros (9.1% of Gross Domestic Product), while the gross consolidated General Government debt at year‐end 2011 is estimated at a nominal value of 355.6 billion euros (165.3% of Gross Domestic Product).

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