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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-07-24
CONTENTS
[01] Minor incidents at protest organised by trade unions outside
Parliament
[02] Juncker says Grexit 'off table'
[03] Ferry fares for passengers up 10 pct from Monday
[01] Minor incidents at protest organised by trade unions outside
Parliament
There was small-scale incidents and scuffles with police during
demonstrations underway in Syntagma Square late on Wednesday night,
after a small group of anti-establishment militants infiltrated the
civil servants' union march and attacked riot police with bottles and
petrol bombs.
Police responded with flash-bang grenades and the incident ended without
spreading further, though many of the demonstrators gathered at Syntagma
Square subsequently dispersed. Calm was soon restored and traffic is now
passing through the square as normal. Earlier, a protest march was held
from the gates of Athens university to Parliament, organised by the civil
servants' union federation ADEDY. Meanwhile, a second demonstration
and march organised by the PAME trade union faction, affiliated to
the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), set off for Parliament from Omonia
Square. The two marches arrived in Syntagma Square almost simultaneously,
with the ADEDY march occupying the top half of the square and PAME
supporters the lower end. The demonstrators had planned to remain in
Syntagma until the vote on the measures was passed in Parliament.
[02] Juncker says Grexit 'off table'
"A Greek exit from the eurozone is definitely off the table after the
agreement reached between Athens and Europeans," the European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker said in statements to Austria's radio ORF.
"But Greece needs to delivers on its promises for reform," he underlined.
Regarding the single currency, Juncker noted that without it, the European
economy would be worse. The euro keeps Europe united, he stressed.
[03] Ferry fares for passengers up 10 pct from Monday
ANA-MPA -- Ferry companies on Monday announced a 10 pct hike in all
ferry fares for passengers, while fares for vehicles are to remain
the same. The hike was imposed after passenger fares were moved from
the 13 pct VAT category to the highest 23 pct VAT category. Taxes and
therefore fares for vehicles, which were already charged at 23 pct VAT,
remained unchanged.
The ferry line companies estimate that the price hikes will lead to an
estimated 20-30 pct reduction in passenger traffic, with a loss of 2.5-3.0
million passengers. According to the latest Foundation for Economic
and Industrial Research (IOBE) report, roughly 65 pct of passengers
using Greece's ferries in 2014 were tourists, of which 5.2 million were
Greeks and 3.4 million were foreign nationals. The tax revenue in 2013,
meanwhile, was an estimated 35.6 million euros in taxes for third parties
(port fees etc) and 85 million euros from VAT.
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