In Brief
Almunia, KEPE warn of policy risks and call for fresh fiscal measures Both EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia and the Center for Planning and Economic Research (KEPE) called on the government to take new measures for the country’s financial adjustment. «Greece is not following a tight fiscal policy and should therefore take additional measures for 2007,» Almunia said, predicting the deficit will decline to 3 percent this year but rise to 3.6 percent next year. KEPE warned yesterday that public revenues in 2005 were smaller than those the government had expected by 5.3 percent, and it would have been worse but for the increased oil tax revenues by 22.4 percent annually. However, Deputy Finance Minister Petros Doukas spoke optimistically of a 9.1 percent revenue rise in the first five months of the year, «far above our set target,» adding that «preliminary data from the first half of June are particularly satisfactory.» Turkish unemployment estimated at 10.9 percent in February-April ANKARA (AFP) – Turkey’s estimated unemployment rate was 10.9 percent in the three-month period from February to April, the State Statistics Institute announced yesterday. A survey based on interviews of some 39,000 people estimated the number of jobless at 2.61 million. Some experts say the figures do not reflect the overall picture because they exclude undeclared or hidden unemployment, such as the employment of educated and qualified people in menial jobs. Kathimerini results Kathimerini SA shareholders approved a dividend of 0.20 euros per share for 2005, amounting to a return of 3.58 percent, payable from June 29. The company’s turnover grew by 7 percent last year to 66.6 million euros, from 62.2 million euros in 2004. Net profits rose to 17.43 million euros, up from 1.67 million euros in 2004. Group turnover came to 83.05 million euros, down from 92.61 million euros in 2004 and net after-tax results fell to 3.8 million euros from 10.4 million euros the year before. The company’s net worth in the first quarter of 2006 came to 100,779,791 euros. Triple Play Vivodi will this year present a Triple Play package including Internet, fixed telephony and video-on-demand, through the ADSL2+ technology. This is expected to bring telephone and TV users closer to the Internet, even without using a computer, as access is via a decoder on top of the TV. The key to its success may lie in the content Vivodi will secure for its video-on-demand service. Equal opportunities Companies wishing to participate in the General Secretariat for Equality’s program for equal opportunities in enterprises with at least 10 female employees have until July 10 to submit applications. The project’s budget runs at over 14 million euros, co-funded by the European Social Fund and the state.
