Saturday May 25, 2013 Search
Weather | Athens
29o C
18o C
News
Business
Comment
Life
Sports
Community
Survival Guide
Greek Edition
Coalition leaders agree on some cuts for 2013/14, no new measures this year

Greece’s coalition leaders have agreed on some of the 11.5 billion euros of cuts being demanded by the country’s lenders and that no more additional fiscal measures would be needed this year.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras held a meeting lasting almost four hours with PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos and Democratic Left chief Fotis Kouvelis after Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras held two days of talks with ministers to discuss spending cuts.

Stournaras briefed the three leaders on where the savings would be made. Sources said that about 7.5 of the 11.5 billion euros have been identified.

After leaving the meeting, Stournaras said the leaders agreed on the cuts and talks would continue in order to pinpoint further savings.

Venizelos and Kouvelis made statements after their talks with Samaras and indicated that there had been broad agreement among the leaders.

The PASOK chief said they agreed that Greece would have to ask for an extension to its fiscal adjustment period, that a new mid-term fiscal plan would have to be drawn up to act as a basis for the 2013 budget and that structural reforms, including privatizations, would have to be speeded up.

Greece has to make 3 billion euros of savings by the end of the year, based on its agreement with the troika early this year. Venizelos said that no more fiscal measures would be taken beyond this, following rumors that another 2 billion euros of cuts were being demanded.

Venizelos added that the three leaders concurred that there should be no “horizontal measures,” in other words no across-the-board cuts or tax hikes, in the 2013/14 package.

The PASOK leader also seems to have succeeded in his attempt to convince his counterparts of the need to form a national negotiating team to deal with issues relating to the bailout. Venizelos said that a panel called the National Committee for Economic Planning would be formed to take on the matter.

In his brief statement, Kouvelis stressed that steps were being made to ease the impact on the country’s poorest families. He said that they would receive some kind of support when tax on heating oil is raised to match levies on other forms of fuel later this year.

Like Venizelos, Kouvelis emphasized the need for some of the money of Greece’s future loan tranches to go towards boosting the economy, particularly by settling state arrears of almost 7 billion euros to businesses and individuals.

Representatives of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund are due to hold talks with the Greek government on July 26 to discuss the country’s program and cuts for the next two years.

ekathimerini.com , Wednesday Jul 18, 2012 (15:32)  
Two arrested, one sought in Mani for growing cannabis plants
Hydra blaze under control
Verhofstadt urges Greece to take reforms
Illegal booze plant seized
Greece changes term of gas privatization to accomodate Gazprom, source says
Greece agreed to change some terms in the planned privatisation of natural gas distributor DEPA, opening the way for Russian energy giant Gazprom to bid for the firm, a senior official direc...
EU leaders to focus on tackling youth unemployment at next summit
European leaders have decided youth unemployment and the risk of social breakdown are among the toughest challenges they face and finding solutions will be a top priority for the coming mont...
Inside Business
SOCCER
PAOK bounces back to win at Asteras
PAOK recovered some of the ground lost in the Super League playoffs by beating fellow Champions League-spot contender Asteras 2-1 at Tripoli on Wednesday, while PAS Giannina and Atromitos sh...
BASKETBALL
Playoffs begin in basketball with Rethymno upsetting PAOK
The league that in the last three years has produced the European basketball champion entered its playoffs on Tuesday and Wednesday with the first games of the quarterfinal round, with AGO R...
Inside Sports
COMMENTARY
Don’t forget the small and medium-sized companies
While the country waits for an influx of major investment that is expected to create new jobs in the distant future, it is absolutely vital to bolster small to medium-sized companies as fast...
EDITORIAL
Doing the job, despite problems
Greek police officers are doing a fine job despite considerable cuts in their salaries coupled by major shortages in equipment and infrastructure. Through their behavior and professionalism,...
Inside Comment
SPONSORED LINK: FinanzNachrichten.de
 RECENT NEWS
1. Greece changes term of gas privatization to accomodate Gazprom, source says
2. EU leaders to focus on tackling youth unemployment at next summit
3. Two arrested, one sought in Mani for growing cannabis plants
4. Hydra blaze under control
5. Verhofstadt urges Greece to take reforms
6. Illegal booze plant seized
more news
Today
This Week
1. Greece visa pledge attracting investors
2. Greek prices ‘on level of Germany’
3. OSE has troika’s blessing for routes
4. Greek government in bid to mend rift over anti-racism bill
5. Two arrested, one sought in Mani for growing cannabis plants
6. Hydra blaze under control
Today
This Week
1. Golden Dawn MP ejected from Parl't after 'Heil Hitler' incident [UPDATE]
2. Slovenian philospher Zizek proposes 'gulag' for those who do not support SYRIZA
3. Eurozone decisions on direct bank recap and debt relief for Greece imminent, says Dijsellbloem
4. On a dangerous path
5. Greece isn't turning the corner
6. Poll shows SYRIZA edge ahead, low faith in all parties
   Find us ...
  ... on
Twitter
     ... on Facebook   
About us  |  Subscriptions  |  Advertising  |  Contact us  |  Athens Plus  |  International Herald Tribune  |  RSS
Copyright © 2013, H KAΘHMEPINH All Rights Reserved.