First steps
The government’s program, set to be announced in the coming days, will give us a clearer picture of how, and how fast, the prime minister plans to go about advancing the outstanding reforms. After all, Costas Karamanlis was given a fresh mandate after he pledged to speed up reforms. Social security is no doubt the mother of all reform. It will determine the country’s future, which is threatened by serious fund deficits. And it goes without saying that the much-delayed shake-up of the state apparatus can wait no longer. But these major reforms will take time and a great deal of energy will be needed to overcome the opposition’s populist resistance and achieve the necessary consensus. Hence the premier should start with the simpler, quick-return reforms that will improve people’s daily lives and free up the economy’s creative forces. So first, the government must slash red tape. A recent OECD report showed that the Greek economy has the highest administrative costs among its European partners. According to the report, trimming bureaucracy could accelerate growth by up to 2 percent of GDP. Less bureaucracy means less corruption – not impunity. As in all advanced states, the state must punish any business that damages the environment by revoking its license and imposing a fine. A second priority should be streamlining first-aid services and incorporating them in the national health system. This means making use of IKA doctors and clinics. The unbearable hassle and delays in state hospitals must finally come to an end. Third, the administration must crack down on the business cartels. Two years after Kathimerini first published allegations of price fixing in the dairy industry, the Competition Commission has yet to take any action against the wrongdoers. The list is long. The government must finally get its act together.
