Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-10-10

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr>

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 10/10/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Gov't sees optimistic prospects for 1998 budget
• Greek wholesale prices rise to 5.8 pct yr/yr in August
• Greek stocks end slightly down, resistance still tough at 1,800 pts
• Papoutsis to head EU Commissioner's group for SMEs
• All Balkan states expected to participate at upcoming Crete summit
• Jerusalem Patriarch at book launching
• Dutch royal couple visit Thessaloniki exhibits
• Noted anti-dictatorship activist, journalist dies
• Draft bill on transparency in public works assignments unveiled
• ND cadre's statements against Karamanlis criticised
• Santorini experiment sets sights on planet Mars
• New state-of-the-art ambulances presented
• European citizens' rights in local elections
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

The government hopes that the 1998 budget will have a positive impact on the economy, National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou told reporters after briefing Prime Minister Costas Simitis on the economy yesterday.

Mr. Papantoniou said the economy was on the right track. He also said the government hoped that if the budget was implemented strictly and along policy guidelines already adopted, economic developments in 1998 would be benefit everyone.

He said that the new budget would be presented before the constitutional deadline of Nov. 30.

Attending the meeting were Development Minister Vasso Papandreou, Finance Undersecretaries George Drys and Nikos Christodoulakis and Bank of Greece Governor Lucas Papademos.

The top-level meeting decided that the state incomes policy for 1998 will be restrained, and so will increases in public utility rates, when approved.

Specifically, the government's hard drachma policy will continue in 1998, while monetary and credit policy will still be restrained.

Expenses will be cut back radically in the public sector while certain taxes will increase and new ones are expected to be introduced by the government.

In public utility rates, selective increases to be carried out will be lower than the expected inflation rate, calculated to just below 3 per cent.

According to a report by Mr. Papantoniou, which was accepted unanimously, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to increase from 3.5 per cent it is now to 3.7 per cent. The expected increase is attributed to the following factors:

An increase by 20 per cent of the Public Investment Programme, an increase in private investment, an acceleration of the construction pace of large projects such as the Rio-Antirrio bridge and a greater absorption of funds provided by the Second Community Support Framework.

In terms of the deficit for the new state budget, the goal is to restrict it to 2.4 per cent of GDP, exactly as foreseen by the convergence programme.

This goal will be achieved by selling shares of profit-making public utilities that will enter the Athens bourse along the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) lines, by dissolving or merging public corporations and services, by reducing expen ditures and by collecting extra revenue from special taxes, which the government has not yet revealed.

Greek wholesale prices rise to 5.8 pct yr/yr in August

Greek wholesale price inflation rose to 5.8 percent year-on-year in August from 5.2 percent in July and 6.2 percent in August 1996, the National Statistics Service said. NSS said average wholesale price inflation in January-August dropped to 3.7 percent year-on-year from 6.6 percent and 8.4 percent in the same-period in 1996 and 1995.

Wholesale Price Index Aug 97 Jul 97 Aug 96

Month-on-month 0.7% 0.2% 0.2%

Year-on-year 5.8% 5.2% 6.2%

Index(1980=100) 896.7 890.1 847.8

Greek stocks end slightly down, resistance still tough at 1,800 pts

Greek equities underwent a slight downward correction yesterday after breaking through the 1,800 level once more during the session.

Traders said the market was nervous above that level and sentiment had been dampened to some extent by news of higher interest rates in Germany and a sharp drop in international markets.

The Athens general index ended at 1,790.60 points, off 0.20 percent, with most sector indices losing ground.

Banks fell 0.02 percent, Insurance dropped 1.44 percent, Leasing was 1.23 percent up, Investment rose 0.85 percent, Construction fell 1.65 percent, Industrials eased 0.30 percent, Miscellaneous ended 0.54 percent and Holding fell 0.69 percent.

The parallel market index for small cap companies ended 1.47 percent down. Trading was heavy and turnover was 25.6 billion drachmas.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 135 to 112 with another 9 issues unchanged.

Bank of Piraeus, Commercial Invest, Keranis, Papastratos, Altec, Hellenic Biscuits and Ideal scored the biggest percentage gains, while Metrolife, Minerva and Mouzakis suffered the heaviest losses.

National Bank of Greece ended at 32,875 drachmas, Ergobank at 19,500, Alpha Credit at 21,200, Delta Dairy at 4,190, Titan Cement at 16,675, Intracom at 15,500 and Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation at 6,900.

Papoutsis to head EU Commissioners' group for SMEs

The European Commission has decided to create a commissioner group for small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), which will be presided over by EU Commissioner Christos Papoutsis.

The Commission took the decision to demonstrate the importance it attributes to SMEs, to business policy in general and enterprise which currently constitute main political issues in the European Union.

The group will include Commissioners Martin Bangemann, Monika Wulf-Mathies, Edith Cresson, Mario Monti, Yves-Thibault de Silguy, Karel Van Miert, Padraig Flynn and Ritt Bjerregaard.

All Balkan states expected to participate at upcoming Crete summit

Commenting on November's Balkan summit conference in Crete, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said yesterday that "all the Balkan countries, including the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), declared that they will be represented at the upco ming Balkan summit conference at Irakleion, Crete."

Replying to a relevant question, Mr. Reppas said that to the best of his knowledge these countries will be represented at the highest level.

Jerusalem Patriarch at book launching

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Diodoros I, was the guest of honour at yesterday's launching in Athens of a book on the history of the Church of Jerusalem.

Speaking at the presentation, the Patriarch said that the publication of the book inaugurates celebrations of the 2,000 years since the birth of Christ.

"However, for us it is a double celebration, because it also marks the struggles and sacrifices for the preservation of the Holy Land, with the Greek presence, that of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the devoted guardian of the Holy Land," the Patriarch said.

The 320-page tome, published by the Athens-based Militos Editions, records the history of the Jerusalem Patriarchate and is titled "Mother of Churches - Jerusalem, Dwelling Place of God".

George Kontadakis, general director of the publishing firm, said an initial 5,000 copies would be published, accompanied by a magnifying glass to enable readers to discern the intricate details in the illustrations of icons and other relics from the Orthodox churches in Jerusalem.

Dutch royal couple visit Thessaloniki exhibits

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands said yesterday that she had been deeply impressed by the artistic splendour and historical significance of exhibits at the "Treasures of Mount Athos" exhibition in Thessaloniki and of Macedonian artifacts at the city's Arc haeological Museum.

The Queen, accompanied by her husband, Prince Klaus, and Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van Mierlo, arrived in the Cultural Capital of Europe for 1997 yesterday morning.

The Dutch royal couple and entourage were welcomed at Macedonia Airport by Thrace Minister Philippos Petsalnikos and later at the Byzantine Cultural Museum by Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

Although not on the official agenda, Queen Beatrix also visited the city's Archaeological Museum when she learned that it was adjacent to the Byzantine Cultural Museum.

The Archaeological Museum houses spectacular finds from the Macedonian royal graves.

Queen Beatrix later inaugurated an exhibition of drawings from Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum, which constitutes the official participation of the Netherlands in "Thessaloniki - Cultural Capital of Europe" events. Prince Klaus was unable to see th e exhibition after feeling slightly indisposed.

The royal couple were later driven to the airport from where they flew back to Athens before departing for the Netherlands.

Noted anti-dictatorship activist, journalist dies

Veteran journalist Yiannis Fatsis, 67, died yesterday at Evangelismos Hospital after a long bout with cancer.

Fatsis was born in Almyros, Volos, and studied to be a lawyer. He never went into practice, however, turning to journalism instead.

During the dictatorship he was arrested and jailed, eventually to end up in exile on desolate Gyaros island, from where he was released with serious health problems.

After a lengthy recovery, he transferred to the staff of "Ta Nea", a position he held until his death. Lately, Fatsis served as a member of the National Radio and Television Council (ERS), on the board of the University of Thessaly and the Athens Journalists Union (ESHEA). Additionally, PASOK had included him on its state deputy list during the last national elections.

Draft bill on transparency in public works assignments unveiled

Environment and Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis yesterday released the text of a draft law on improving transparency of procedures in the assignment of public works projects.

"The aim is to ensure healthy competition during the auctioning of projects and objectivity in the procedures for assignment," he said.

The draft law tackles basic issues concerning consortia of construction companies, quality control and speedy executive, and extends the provisions regarding transparency in the origins of wealth for members of assignment committees.

Emphasis is given on the quality of construction and on setting limits to possible upward budget revisions.

The bill also provides for the founding of a Construction Economy Institute, which will study issues relating to cost, productivity, financing, quality and assignment of projects.

ND cadre's statements against Karamanlis criticised

A statement by former New Democracy education minister Vassilis Kontoyiannopoulos that the main opposition party was "on a downward course" compared to the days before the election of Costas Karamanlis as party leader, sparked strong internal reactions, with most deputies condemning the statement.

Mr. Karamanlis himself, although reportedly strongly annoyed by the statement, was said he was not intending to adopt measures against the deputy at present, saying he was "resolved to proceed on the basis of the policy already carved out".

Commenting, party spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos said "the party will forge ahead to the 21st century, and whoever wishes can follow."

Santorini experiment sets sights on planet Mars

An experiment sponsored by the Greek Society for Aerospace Medicine hopes to examine ways in which the planet Mars can be made habitable, society president Chryssoula Kourtidou-Papadeli told a press conference yesterday.

Ms Kourtidou said that the society had enlisted the help of high school students on Santorini to conduct an experiment taking advantage of the fact that the composition of the island's earth resembles that of Mars closely.

With training provided by the society and specialist NASA Eleanor Robbins this past summer, the students are examining the ability of a certain microorganism to survive on Mars-like conditions.

This specific organism, a "ferrous bacterium", absorbs carbon dioxide and produces large amounts of oxygen.

Microorganism colonies could be introduced to Mars, if the experiment succeeds, to create conditions that could sustain human life, Ms Kourtidou said.

When this phase is completed, she added, a second one will examine the microorganism's behaviour on a Mars environmental simulator at the University of Thessaloniki, which supervises the project.

Results from both experiments are being recorded by specialists working at the university and will be submitted to NASA in the hope of a grant for the Mars habitation programme, Ms Kourtidou said.

The press conference was given on the occasion of the first International Meeting of Aerospace Medicine taking place in Thessaloniki from today to Sunday.

New state-of-the-art ambulances presented

Health Minister Costas Geitonas yesterday presented 69 new ambulances which will be deployed around the country on highways as well as in cities.

Mobile units have already been deployed in Lamia, Patras, Larisa, Volos, Lesvos, Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Athens and other areas.

Equipped with the latest life-saving equipment, the ambulances will be manned by a doctor and paramedical staff. Sixty of the vehicles, valued at 1.6 billion drachmas, were funded by the second Community Support Framework, while the other nine, valued at 250 million drachmas, were paid for by the state.

National ambulance service (EKAB) president N. Tsagarakis said the move was aimed at reducing road deaths by 30 per cent.

European citizens' rights in local elections

Citizens of the European Union will have the right to vote and to stand for office in next year's municipal elections, according to an Athens Prefecture announcement yesterday. Those interested should register by March 31, 1998. Further information available from the prefectural Electoral List Bureau, 125, Kifissias Ave. tel. 64.91.200