Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-09-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Tsipras at SYRIZA conference: Mitsotakis' proposals will pillage society

[02] FinMin Tsakalotos criticizes Mitsotakis' tax proposals

[01] PM Tsipras at SYRIZA conference: Mitsotakis' proposals will pillage society

"All the political forces of the old Greece have joined forces against us. Against SYRIZA and our government. They have every reason to do so because the oligarchs understand that our government has deep roots in society," Tsipras said.

"Today the country is not the black sheep in Europe but takes initiatives. We are recovering without accepting a pillage of our society. We are exiting from the crisis with the society on its feet," he added.

Speaking to SYRIZA delegates, he said the party wasn't elected to assume positions of power, but to end with the old, "without lies reiterated by New Democracy."

"Obviously the Greek people are not sailing in seas of happiness as in the framework of this Europe, we are unfortunately forced into a period of adjustment," the premier said, noting however that his government succeeded in ending privileged relations between political and economic elite.

Commenting on the relations between the Bank of Greece and the government he said they must not endanger the banking system. "After our meeting yesterday, Mr. Stournaras said in the clearest way what ND cannot understand, that Justice is independent, and disconnected the KEELPNO investigation from the BoG and the economy," he said.

Tsipras reiterated that the promises he made in last year's Thessaloniki Fair are still valid, adding there will be major developments on the debt issue soon which will mark the end of international supervision for Greece.

He said the 246 million euros collected through the TV licensing tender ended all arguments voiced by the "triangle of corruption", adding that the tender aimed at protecting the public interest. He also reiterated his pledge to give "every last euro" of the revenues to people who need it. "If one of the successive bidders – we are not interested in any one of them, he's not our friend – is not able to pay or justify the source of his money, [the license] will lose it immediately," he said.

Commenting on a speech by main opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Thessaloniki International Fair, Tsipras described it as "an orgy of slander", adding that "the leader of ND doesn't like honest faces, he likes the faces of the triangle of corruption." He accused Mitsotakis of promising things that cannot be done and which are "dangerous for the economy and society" and described him as "the lenders' favourite man".

Tsipras also questioned the ND leader's pledge to cut taxes noting that New Democracy didn't implement this while it was in power. He wondered how civil servants will react to his announcement that he will not increase their salaries and said: "I heard policemen say they will arrest [Alt. FinMin Giorgos] Chouliarakis who's looking for ways to resolve this. If they want to arrest someone, I'd tell them to go to Thessaloniki."

[02] FinMin Tsakalotos criticizes Mitsotakis' tax proposals

"Mr. Mitsotakis' answer to the crisis is to increase [taxes] in drugs, books, newspapers and theatre tickets from 6 percent to 11 percent," he told Athens-Macedonian News Agency on the sidelines of the SYRIZA central committee conference.

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