PM prods ministers on merging, abolition of state bodies
The office of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Friday started sending out notices to all ministers in a bid to accelerate the process of merging and abolishing dozens of state organizations so Greece can meet its pledge to foreign creditors of laying off 2,000 civil servants.
Some of the organizations in the list are in the portfolio of the state privatization fund TAIPED, according to sources.
The list, as it stands so far, reportedly includes a series of research centers, academies and foundations that were set up by Parliament but are essentially redundant. These include the Hellenic Center for European Studies (EKEM), the Center for Security Studies (KEMEA), the National Book Center of Greece (EKEBI) and the Institute for Island Policy.
The Hellenic Horse Racing Organization (ODIE) is also believed to be on the list.
