Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] First review of economic programme must be concluded by end-Feb., Greek FinMin says‏

[02] Plummetting bourse 'confirms our worst fears,' ND's spokesman says

[03] EU anti-fraud body seizes 55 mln smuggled cigarettes in Greece, Cyprus in Jan.

[01] First review of economic programme must be concluded by end-Feb., Greek FinMin says‏

Speaking in Parliament, Tsakalotos also expressed concern in the case negotiations are prolonged until May or June.

The finance minister said he was more optimistic now than he had been before the start of negotiations on pension reform and tax issues. While acknowledging that there are still hurdles to be overcome, he noted that there was agreement "on the basic architecture of these two major reforms". Tsakalotos said the representatives of the institutions will return to Greece next week while technical delegations of the institutions are continuing negotiations with Greek officials.

"We expect them to return in a reasonable space of time. Not this week, maybe next week. From that point, we will have two weeks to wrap up all pending issues. This will allow the start of talks on debt, which will help create conditions to turn a page and for investments to return," the Greek FinMin said. "There are thorns in negotiations. It is very significant to conclude the first review," he added.

"Both the pension and the income tax reforms have a structural nature. They are significant changes that need to be made since they both contribute to the basic goal, which is to agree that in 2018 we will have a primary surplus of 3.5 pct of GDP."

[02] Plummetting bourse 'confirms our worst fears,' ND's spokesman says

"We are most deeply worried about the dramatic downward course of the Greek bourse," he said, noting that this was "linked to a sense of increasing political uncertainty that is triggered by the governing majority itself."

He also called on the government to immediately change course and policy, since it would otherwise bear heavy responsibility toward the country and the Greek people.

[03] EU anti-fraud body seizes 55 mln smuggled cigarettes in Greece, Cyprus in Jan.

"Thanks to the close cooperation with the Greek general secretariat against corruption (AFCOS Greece), Greek and Cypriot customs, 33 million cigarettes, were seized at the end of January," OLAF said in a press release. "An additional seizure of almost 21 million cigarettes had already taken place at the Port of Piraeus, bringing the total number of seized cigarettes in Greece in the course of these 2 recent investigations to over 55 million."

The body said that European cigarettes which legally set sail to Asia end up finding their way back into Europe illegally. This was the largest of five operations in which a total of more than 75 million cigarettes were seized in Greece, Russia, Germany and Spain between December 2015 and January 2016, a press release added.

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