Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-03-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek govt discusses tourism policy

[02] Multinational sells Aluminium de Grece to Athens-quoted Mytilineos

[03] Gov't announces PM's schedule in Brussels, Luxembourg over next two days

[04] Gov't, parties urge vigilance on occasion of World Consumers' Day

[01] Greek govt discusses tourism policy

Tourism Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, speaking to reporters, after the meeting, said that the government was taking initiatives aimed to upgrade the quality of the country's tourist product and added that cabinet ministers agreed on the need to support tourist development.

Avramopoulos said his ministry was promoting a series of measures aimed to create an ambitious investment environment and to combat bureaucracy. He noted it was necessary to achieve a closer cooperation between the public and private sectors to meet a new era and development prospects ahead after a decline in the sector in the last few years.

The Greek minister said that his ministry, in cooperation with Environment, Town Planning and Public Works ministry, would soon table new regulations over the use of land for tourism projects that would create new job positions around the country.

Avramopoulos said the government supported theme tourism and added that the company which built the Formula One race track in Bahrein would soon visit Patras on an invitation by the Greek Tourism Organisation to inspect the region.

[02] Multinational sells Aluminium de Grece to Athens-quoted Mytilineos

"The pioneering move of acquiring a multinational's Greek subsidiary, an industry symbolising the country's more recent economic history that has contributed to growth of Greek industry's most dynamic sectors, has made our entire (Mytilineos) Group proud and full of confidence for the future," the buyer's chairman and CEO, Evangelos Mytilineos, noted to mark the occasion.

"This also represents a vote of confidence in the Greek economy itself, its capacity, and a resounding reply to all who have sped in recent years to denigrate Greece's industry and workers," Mytilineos added.

An agreement on the sale was announced in December 2004, and its completion follows approval from Greek regulatory authorities - the competition commission and the development ministry.

[03] Gov't announces PM's schedule in Brussels, Luxembourg over next two days

Afterwards, the Greek premier will depart for Luxembourg for a meeting on Thursday and subsequent working dinner with his Luxembourg counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker, the presiding executive of the European Union, the government spokesman announced.

Meanwhile, during his regular press briefing on Tuesday, alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros reiterated that there is no issue of a government reshuffle at hand.

Finally, Antonaros told reporters that the government will table draft legislation aimed at preventing the concentration of mass media by the summer.

[04] Gov't, parties urge vigilance on occasion of World Consumers' Day

Addressing a special event organised on the occasion of the World Consumers' Day, Sioufas also urged manufacturers to adopt a similar move, and stressed that companies in both sectors could work with a smaller profit margin.

"The government's goal is to promote the image of a country with low prices, quality and safe products," he noted.

Commenting on the price front, the Greek minister acknowledged that prices were high but underlined the government's policy to contain price increases around the inflation level despite strong pressures from rising fuel prices.

Sioufas said ministry agencies were systematically monitoring developments in the domestic market and stressed that a Food Inspection Agency was performing impeccable work. He underlined the government's effort to protect consumers through the operations of a Consumer General Secretariat and upgrading the role of a Competition Commission.

Addressing the event, Development Deputy Minister Yiannis Papathanasiou said plans for extended shopping hours in the country offered the chance to all interested parties to express their opinions on the matter and reiterated his belief that a national shopping hours plan would lead to higher job positions and investments. Papathanasiou also presented a survey on the profile of Greek consumer showing that younger people supported

extended shopping hours.

The Greek minister stressed that the survey showed that Greek consumers were not adequately informed over their rights and obligations as consumers.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, in a message on the occasion of the World Consumer's Day, said a decision to celebrate this day "highlights one of the biggest daily problems facing citizens around the world".

The Greek PM reassured consumers that the government was working systematically, with responsibility and a sense of social responsibility to put a brake on price increase and to combat profiteering in the market.

Opposition comments

On his part, main opposition PASOK president George Papandreou said the safeguarding of consumers� rights and the strengthening of consumers� conscience are primary parameters of a modern society and the smooth-functioning operation of the market.

He also underlined that information, transparency, healthy competition and regulation of the market are the state�s obligations.

The Coalition of the Left, in a press release, noted that the international commemoration is not a celebration but a day of vigilance. The party also stressed that Greece is behind many other European countries in terms of consumer protection.

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