Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-02-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] Schinas: Commission wants 'balanced and fair' deal for Greece

[02] Briefings are given by the government and the spokesman speaks for all, Tsakalotos says in Parliament

[03] French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to visit Greece on March 3

[04] Siemens' cash-for-contracts case involving 64 defendants to resume on Friday

[05] Finance ministry extends tax clearance for Athens Concert Hall until end of August

[01] Schinas: Commission wants 'balanced and fair' deal for Greece

"We have stressed repeatedly the need for an ambitious but at the same time balanced and fair agreement which will help the Greek people in the path towards a socially cohesive recovery. This is the spirit in which we are working and continue to work," Schinas said.

Asked whether Greece is receiving the solidarity it needs, following the latest decisions by the Eurogroup, he said: "We remain committed to a reform procedure accompanied by a package of social measures which will allow the Greek people to see the end of the tunnel."

[02] Briefings are given by the government and the spokesman speaks for all, Tsakalotos says in Parliament

"It is very touching that you were all looking for me and that you missed me. I would like to thank New Democracy for congratulating me on my Greek, because it is getting better and I thank them very much. Briefings are given by the government. As far as I know, there is collective responsibility under the Constitution and when Mr. Tzanakopoulos speaks, he does not do this on his own account but for the government as a whole," Tsakalotos said.

Referring to an upcoming briefing of Parliament's Economic Affairs Committee next Tuesday, Tsakalotos said this would give the main opposition time to get over its disappointment that its dire predictions regarding the review and several billions in additional fiscal measures had not been proved right.

The key, Tsakalotos added, was in the single word "net" uttered by European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici in the press conference after the Eurogroup, when replying to a journalist about the Greek government's claim that it would not have to take "a single euro" of additional austerity measures. This meant that any measures taken will have no net fiscal impact, Tsakalotos explained.

"In other words, if there is a package of one billion euros that are measures that depress demand, there will be one billion in positive measures that will be returned to the economy," the finance minister said. This was what Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem had meant when he talked about a shift away from austerity to structural reforms, to changes in the taxation portfolio and the social portfolio.

"Some could lose out, of course, but others will gain. In other words, some people that we are now not helping and that we should help, we will help. Some may lose out; we will do everything during the negotiation to minimise their losses and get them something to compensate," he said. He also pointed out that the package was not final.

"We never said that the taxation system of the last 40 years was the best one. We never said that through the clientelist system we had arrived at a social system, whose restructuring was the best possible. Therefore, we are always open to discussions, now that we will have zero fiscal impact but we will have reforms," he added.

He noted that the government was discussing a major programme to restrict not the austerity that is coming, but the austerity that already existed, with employment programmes.

[03] French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to visit Greece on March 3

[04] Siemens' cash-for-contracts case involving 64 defendants to resume on Friday

The trial had been postponed in July 2016 as foreign nationals involved in the case said the multipage decree had not been translated to their native language. The case has stagnated ever since it was introduced in Greek courts almost ten years ago.

The case concerns the so-called "contract 8002" and later extension of the deal signed between Siemens and Greek telecoms company OTE in 1997 to digitize the operator's network. The prosecutor alleges that about 70 million euros exchanged hands between Siemens and OTE executives over a long period of time to secure the deal.

The charges for some defendants could lead to life sentences, if found guilty.

[05] Finance ministry extends tax clearance for Athens Concert Hall until end of August

Tsakalotos said this move was chosen for the second time to allow the indebted arts center to cover its operational needs and obligations towards its employees. To avoid having to take the same measure in the future, the ministry ordered an audit to clarify the center's economic state and appoint a new chief financial officer, he added.

In February 2016, Athens Concert Hall came under state ownership after the government agreed to cover its bank debts to ensure its survival.

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