Sunday May 26, 2013 Search
Weather | Athens
29o C
18o C
News
Business
Comment
Life
Sports
Community
Survival Guide
Greek Edition
Athens to borrow 10-14 bln to fund scheme which ‘must succeed’

Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said on Wednesday that Greece would borrow up to 14 billion euros to fund a bond buyback scheme which creditors have said must be completed as part of efforts to reduce Greek debt and before fresh rescue loans are released next month.

“It is our patriotic duty to make the scheme succeed,” Stournaras told a press conference. “It must succeed.”

He refuted reports that the government would issue T-bills to raise the money for the scheme, saying that the funds would come from the European Financial Stability Facility. Stournaras fudged questions whether the success of the scheme was a condition for the release of 34.4 billion euros in loans next month. But he said that if the voluntary scheme fails to attract enough interest, there is a “Plan B” which he refused to elaborate on.

The new loan is on top of the 44 billion euros that eurozone and International Monetary Fund officials earmarked for Greece at a Eurogroup summit this week but it has been factored into the troika’s debt sustainability analysis, which sees Greek debt shrinking to 124 percent of gross domestic product from around 175 percent now, Stournaras said.

Early next week, Greece’s debt management agency is to reveal details of the bond buyback scheme which, according to Reuters, will be managed by Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley.

Of the 44 billion euros pledged to Greece, 34.4 billion is to be released by December 13 with the remaining 9.3 billion to be paid in three tranches in the first quarter of next year if Greece meets troika targets.

Of the 34.4-billion-euro tranche Greece hopes to get next month, 23.8 billion is to go to bank recapitalization and 10.6 billion to the primary deficit and state arrears. Alternate Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said a plan for the repayment of 9.3 billion euros in state arrears would be announced on Thursday. Of the total, 1.5 billion euros is to be paid out next month and the rest next year.

Stournaras said the Eurogroup deal had helped secure Greece’s position in the eurozone and its prospects for economic recovery but he noted that it is “no cause for celebration.” “Now the hard part begins.”

Meanwhile it emerged that eurozone central banks may roll over their holdings of Greek debt, which would reduce a funding gap for the 2013-16 period from 7.6 billion euros to 5.6 billion.

ekathimerini.com , Wednesday November 28, 2012 (23:59)  
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
BASKETBALL
Rethymno completes PAOK upset, sets up clash with Reds
Olympiakos will face AGO Rethymnou and Panathinaikos will measure up against Panionios in the semifinals of the Greek basketball league, as the quarterfinals of the playoffs saw AGOR upset P...
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...
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. Rethymno completes PAOK upset, sets up clash with Reds
2. Greece changes term of gas privatization to accomodate Gazprom, source says
3. EU leaders to focus on tackling youth unemployment at next summit
4. Two arrested, one sought in Mani for growing cannabis plants
5. Hydra blaze under control
6. Verhofstadt urges Greece to take reforms
more news
Today
This Week
1. Greek prices ‘on level of Germany’
2. Greece visa pledge attracting investors
3. Greek government in bid to mend rift over anti-racism bill
4. Greece changes term of gas privatization to accomodate Gazprom, source says
5. OSE has troika’s blessing for routes
6. Two arrested, one sought in Mani for growing cannabis plants
Today
This Week
1. Slovenian philospher Zizek proposes 'gulag' for those who do not support SYRIZA
2. Eurozone decisions on direct bank recap and debt relief for Greece imminent, says Dijsellbloem
3. On a dangerous path
4. Greece isn't turning the corner
5. We’re not out of the woods
6. As visit to China concludes, Samaras offers incentives to invest in Greece
   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.