ECONOMY

Berlin to send tax officers to help Athens

German press reports on Saturday suggested that Berlin intends to send to Greece at least 160 tax officers who would volunteer to assist with the operation of the Greek tax collection mechanism.

?As the opposition of lending countries grows regarding the new bailout for Greece, so does the belief that Athens cannot proceed to any further cuts, otherwise the economy will be strangled,? writes Der Spiegel magazine. As the collection of taxes is almost impossible, the state?s revenues are crumbling, argues the German magazine, adding that the tax authorities must do something with the money that citizens owe.

Financial magazine Wirtschaftswoche adds that ?the construction of a modern public sector is required. This is where the [German] federal government wants to lend a helping hand. More than 160 volunteers of the German financial authorities are ready, according to the general secretary of the Finance Ministry, Hans Bernhard Beus.?

?Volunteers must have good knowledge of English, while there are several who speak Greek, too,? the German magazine notes.

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