Extra burden of €200 mln per month
The new restrictions announced on Friday are estimated to carry an additional fiscal cost of 200 million euros a month, Finance Minister Christos Staikouras told state broadcaster ERT on Saturday.
He noted that the measures affect 68% of businesses in areas marked ”red” for rising coronavirus infections, such as Athens and Thessaloniki.
Staikouras added that he will provide a more detailed presentation of the new government support measures on Monday. These include reduced value-added tax on food services and the extension of the rental reduction until March, as announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday.
“The measures must be targeted towards those who have been actually harmed. We do not have unlimited resources and these only dwindle further the longer the economy remains closed or restrictions are expanded. This applies to the entire world,” he said.
Asked about the possible acquisition by Greece of other vaccines apart from those commissioned by the European Union, such as Russia’s Sputnik V, Staikouras assured that the state is able to cover the cost that may be required to buy any other vaccines ονn the market, in accordance with the Health Ministry’s decisions on the issue.
