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TV channels owe 34 million euros in unpaid taxes, fines, minister says

TV channels owe 34 million euros in unpaid taxes, fines, minister says

Greek television channels owe more than 34 million euros to the state from unpaid taxes on advertising and fines imposed by the Greek National Council for Radio and Television (ESR), according to figures presented in Parliament on Friday by Alternate Finance Minister Tryfon Alexiadis.

Alexiadis presented the figures in response to a question tabled in the House by Independent Greeks (ANEL) deputy Dimitris Kammenos.

According to the ministry figures, 39.3 million euros in fines were imposed on Greek television channels last year while the ESR has issued 23.3 million euros since 2010. Of the total 62.6 million euros in dues, only 34 million has been collected.

In 2013, the state collected only 1.87 million euros out of 8.1 million imposed on channels by the ESR, Alexiadis said, referring to a "scandalous figure."

He accused private television channels of "crying crocodile tears for people's debts" and proposed that those channels run a banner on the screen during their evening news bulletins referring to the size of their own debts to the state.

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