Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-03-20

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] EU's Juncker: About 2 bln euro funds to Greece in 2015

[02] 'Restart of the economy bill' passes in Parliament late on Friday

[03] Greece 'claiming ownership of its reforms programme,' FinMin Varoufakis tells Parliament

[01] EU's Juncker: About 2 bln euro funds to Greece in 2015

The president of the Commission noted that SMEs are the beneficiaries, adding that European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis is responsible for the Greek aid within the framework of the European Commission. Regarding the EU-Greece co-financed projects, the Greek participation accounts for 5 percent, he stated.

European Council President Donald Tusk also said that Thursday's discussions were useful to the extent that it served as a "reality check" for all involved. He also said that after Thursday's consultations there are no misunderstandings as to what should be done.

[02] 'Restart of the economy bill' passes in Parliament late on Friday

The bill, which settles arrears to the state and social security funds by provisions that include the opportunity to settle debts in as many as 100 installments, passed in principle by ruling parties SYRIZA and Independent Greeks (ANEL), and former ruling coalition partners New Democracy (now main opposition) and PASOK, while Potami and extreme-right Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avgi) voted "present". The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) voted against because the government rejected an amendment for full writeoff of debts of families with total annual income of 20,000 euros and a haircut of debt for families with double that income.

During the per-article discussion, New Democracy proposed roll-call votes for four articles involving the jurisdiction of the finance minister in setting debt regulations and exemptions from them (articles 16-17); precautionary and temporary taxation of companies unders suspicion of "triangular transactions" (article 21); and the end of all operations for Paraktio Attiko Metopo (Coastal Attica Front) S.A. and transfer of its assets to the current state privatisation agency (article 24).

The four articles passed on the votes of SYRIZA and ANEL. ND, Potami and KKE voted against, PASOK voted for the first three and against the fourth, while Golden Dawn voted "present" for the first three articles and against the last one.

[03] Greece 'claiming ownership of its reforms programme,' FinMin Varoufakis tells Parliament

"What we achieved with yesterday's EU Summit, and are achieving every moment with blood, is the right of this government and of Parliament to claim ownership of the reforms programme," Varoufakis said.

According to the finance minister, the delays in communication with Greece's EU partners apparent since the agreement between the Eurogroup and Greece on February 20 is not due to the Greek side or to dissatisfaction over Greece's proposals but "to some apprentice magicians in some of the institutions [Greece's creditors] who would very much like to have us return to the state of the now-gone troika, where they would legislate and we would follow faithfully."

Some people, he asserted, wanted us as early as February 21 to overturn the logic of the agreement and have us return to the fifth review, he added.

Referring to the draft bill calling for as many as 100 installments for repayment of outstanding debts to the state and social security funds, Varoufakis described it as "a necessary draft bill, although not adequate to restart the economy" and said that soon a draft bill would be tabled to regulate the non-performing loans of citizens to banks.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article