The government appears poised to accelerate plans for the partial privatisation of several major public utilities.
A ministerial meeting at the ministry of National Economy today will discuss the partial privatisation of the Public Petroleum Co. (DEP) group, and in particular, its subsidiaries Hellenic Refineries (ELDA) and Hellenic Fuels and Mineral Oils (EKO - formerly ESSO).
The meeting will be attended by National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, Finance Minister Alekos Papadopoulos, Trade and Industry Minister Costas Simitis, his alternate Christos Rokofyllos, Finance Under-Secretary Nikos Kyriazidis, DEP President Christos Verelis and Managing Director Manolis Daskalakis.
The EKO and ELDA partial privatisation programme is seen as an important means of drawing funds for development from capital markets. EKO, in particular, is currently considered to be in a phase of dynamic growth in the oil products distribution sector and in chemicals. DEP's general assembly is scheduled for tomorrow.
The Greek Railways Organisation (OSE) executive board is also meeting today in order to decide on selection of a company to assume the duties of financial adviser in its long-term development programme (1995-1999), budgeted at more than 350 billion drachmas. The fee of the firm to be selected is estimated at more than 1 billion drachmas.
The Greek Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) executive board, meanwhile, which met yesterday on the subject of selecting financial advisers for its partial privatisation programme, proposed Alpha Finance and the Hellenic Industrial Development Bank (ETEBA), while the two largest Greek banks, National and Commercial, in a consortium with other smaller institutions will undertake the distribution of shares.
A plan to float a 25 per cent stake of the telecoms monopoly in the international capital market last year was abandoned because of a poor response. OTE is now offering 8 per cent of its shares for sale in the domestic market alone. OTE trade unionists yesterday voiced opposition to the plan, asking for improvements in services, development of mobile telecommunications and operational modernisation.
President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos met yesterday with main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert. An announcement from the president's office said the meeting focused on defence and national issues.
"I am deeply concerned be cause concessions (from our part) come one after the other and the country's isolation grows wider," Mr. Evert said after the meeting, reiterating his position on the drafting of a national foreign policy.
After meeting Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday, Interior Minister Costas Skandalides said the government would accelerate the drafting of a bill on civil protection from natural disasters.
The plan includes establishment of a general directorate for civil protection. Meanwhile, the Athens Public Prosecuting Authority on instructions from Supreme Court President Vasilis Kokkinos, launched a preliminary investigation yesterday into media reports concerning alleged negligence by public officials in dealing with last weekend's devastating forest fire on Mount Penteli. However, Mr. Kokkinos did not request for the initiation of criminal proceedings against any public officials.
Communist Party (KKE) deputies tabled in Parliament yesterday a question addressed to the ministers of agriculture and environment, asking what preventive measures were adopted before the disaster, how the government will deal with a serious undermanning of forestry services, when it will implement findings of a 1993 parliamentary committee report on forest protection and what measures are envisaged for the prevention of floods this winter?
In a separate statement, KKE blamed both major parties for the lack of personnel, lack of a national land register and poor co-ordination during the disaster. KKE said such phenomena were not due to indifference or incompetence on the part of government, but "political options exercised so large organised interests can implement their land profiteering schemes."
The General Confederation of Agricultural Associations (GESASE) also called for quick completion of the national land register, which will delineate public from private woodlands, and for implementation of a relevant parliamentary committee report.
Authorities said they were inundated with hundreds of phone calls from foreigners yesterday after the government announced it was recruiting people to settle and live rent-free on 10 small islands dotting the Aegean and Ionian seas.
"From London to Australia, people are calling in scores. Yesterday (Monday) alone, we received more than 150 telephone calls," Defence Ministry spokesman Stamatis Lefteriotis said. "Many called hoping to book an entire island, but are quickly disappointed when they find out the idea is still on the drawing board," he said.
The ambitious plan, announced last week by the ministries of the Aegean, defence and environment, hopes to populate several small and secluded Greek islands. Greece has about 2,000 islands dotting its seas, but only a small percentage are inhabited.
"We want to give these small islands life while preserving their beauty and tranquillity," said Minister of the Aegean Andonis Kotsakas. Islands include Ro, Strongili, Kalolimnos, Pharmaconisi, Saria, Pasalavatos, Takmakia, Antikythira and Gavdos.
Mr. Kotsakas said special crews would be sent to the 10 remote locations in September to begin infrastructure works that will accommodate new residents. "The trade-off is free provision of water, electricity, telephones and a place to live in exchange for life on the island," Mr. Kotsakas said. Potential settlers seeking a slice of paradise will not be given property ownership titles. In addition, environmental unfriendly developers will be barred from the offer, the minister added.
He said the project could be completed by as early as next summer, allowing the first group of residents to settle. A more ambitious plan was waged three years ago by the cash-strapped conservative government, offering to sell to rocky, deserted isles to wealthy Greeks and foreigners. The move was quickly abandoned following a public outcry by Leftist parties and environmental groups.
Defence ministry officials said colonisation of islands near the Turkish coast could act as a deterrent to drug trafficking, antiquities smuggling and illegal fishing. "It's much more difficult getting away with illegal operations if you know that someone may be watching you," an official said.
The Canadian Ambassador to Greece, Derek Fraser, presented the 1995 Canadian Business Awards last week to several members of Greece's business community in recognition of their outstanding contribution to Greek-Canadian trade relations. The awards ceremony, the fifth such event, was attended by many prominent members of the Greek government and business leaders.
The purpose of the event was to honour Greek firms and their Canadian partners who have increased sales of Canadian products significantly or who have successfully introduced new Canadian products to the Greek market.
The awards recipients for 1995 were: On behalf of all traders and manufacturers of fur garment products in Greece, the gold award was given to the Greek Confederation of Furs, located in Kastoria. Furs and fur products have historically been an important item of trade between Greece and Canada. In 1994, imports of tanned and dressed fur skins from Canada amounted to 750 million drachmas, making Greece the largest buyer of Canadian furs products after the United States.
The silver award was given to Nikos Petrakopoulos, owner of N. Petrakopoulos S.A., which has been representing NBS Technologies of Mississauga, Ontario, since 1988. Since that time, more than 7,000 NBS credit card issuing and verification systems have been installed in Greece. Currently, NBS and Petrakopoulos S.A. hold about 60 per cent of the total market for such systems in Greece.
The bronze award was given to Antonis Bournis, the sales manager of the Marine Division of Theoharakis S.A. The company represents Sea Doo jet skis, manufactured by Bombardier. Theoharakis has represented Bombardier's line of water recreational vehicles since 1992 and in that time 450 Sea Doo jet skis have been sold into Greece, making Sea Doo the market leader for such vehicles in this country.
A Special Achievement Award was given to George Bastounis for his tireless efforts in promoting Greek-Canadian trade relations over the years. Mr. Bastounis was a commercial officer at the Canadian Embassy in Athens for more than 35 years, from 1948 to 1983. After his retirement he continued working as a representative in Greece for a Canadian food products company until 1994. Mr. Bastounis is an active member of the Hellenic Canadian Association.
Europarliament President Klaus Haensch and Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides will be the keynote speakers at a three-day Athens summit in early September focusing on European and international political, economic and cultural developments on the threshold of the 21st century.
The international conference, organised by the senate of the National Metsovion Polytechnic of Athens will attract personalities from the world of politics, science and academia from Sept. 4-6. Participants include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard, Prof. Gunther Schlageter, former US Congressman John Brademas as well as businessmen from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Greece.
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou will address what organisers call the "Athens Summit," while Mr. Haensch will open the conference as the principal speaker on the topic of: "European Union - the Democratic Challenge."
President Clerides will be the key-note speaker during a debate on "The fate of democracy in the 21st century." President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos will inaugurate the conference at a ceremony on historic Pnyx Hill, opposite the Acropolis.
Alternate Industry Minister Christos Rokofyllos will meet today in Brussels with Karl van Mirt, the EU commissioner for issues related to competition. The meeting will focus on the course of privatisation of public companies in Greece, especially the Skaramangas shipyard.
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou held a meeting yesterday with Transport and Communications Minister Thanassis Tsouras and the chairman of the board of Olympic Airways, Mr. Doganis. Sources said the meeting focused on restructuring of the national carrier.
Greece condemned yesterday a Monday attack on a bus in the Israeli town Ramat-Gan, north of Tel Aviv, saying it endangered Middle East peace efforts. "The Greek government condemns the bomb attack against innocent Israeli citizens in Tel Aviv and expresses a sincere sympathy of the Greek people to the families of the victims and the government of Israel," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said.
"Greece believes such actions discourage peace efforts," he added. An Islamic suicide bomber carried the bomb onto the bus, killing himself and five others. Several other passengers were injured.
The Greek government yesterday voiced regret over the sudden death of Ahmed Sadik, a former Greek Moslem deputy. "The Greek government expresses its grief for the death of former Parliamentarian Ahmet Sadik," said government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos.
Mr. Sadik, 47, was killed in a head on collision with a farm tractor late Monday while driving home from a wedding in the Thracian city of Komotini. His wife and two children were injured in the crash.
Police said they were investigating the causes of the accident. The Turkish minister to the prime minister's office, Algan Hatzaloglu, and five members of the Turkish National Assembly will arrive in Komotini tomorrow to attend Mr. Sadik's funeral.
Greece's current accounts deficit jumped to $745 million in April against $210 million during the corresponding month last year, according to Bank of Greece figures. The balance of payments deficit for the four-month period of January-April was measured at $1.49 billion, up from $106.2 million in the same period last year.
The trade balance deficit also reached $1.35 billion in April against $136.8 million in April last year, while the deficit for the four-month period January to April climbed to $5.61 billion against $4.36 billion in the corresponding period last year.
Consumer protection groups held a nation-wide conference in Kavala yesterday. Representatives called for better access to information from public utilities, including pricing policy, and establishment of an arbitration committee to adjudicate disputes that will include consumers' representatives.
Press Minister Evangelos Venizelos yesterday installed journalist Panayiotis Panayiotou as new president and managing director of the Greek Radio and Television Organisation (ERT). Mr. Venizelos said the new president will continue the task initiated by his predecessor, Evgenios Yiannakopoulos, to effect a financial recovery, improve management and boost confidence in the organisation. Mr. Panayiotou leaves his post as director of Greek Television channel 2.
The Middle East branch of the Hellenic Civilisation Foundation in co-operation with the cultural section of the Greek Embassy in Egypt will organise a Greek cultural week this September in Baghdad.
The Greek Embassy's cultural attachi in Egypt, Kostis Moskov, said the initiative is being held within the framework of a series of cultural weeks which Greece organises in the Arab world. He said the event is "an act of solidarity with the suffering people of Iraq."
The event will be organised within the framework of the Greek-Palestinian cultural co-operation and will be implemented in co-operation with two Palestinian universities.