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Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-02-22Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Gov't issues back-to-work order for striking seamenThe government and Merchant Marine Minister Manolis Kefaloyiannis announced a back-to-work mobilisation for striking seamen as of 6 a.m. Wednedsay, following a late night decision by the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO) to extend a six-day strike by another 48 hours until Friday morning.The developments came after both sides failed to come to an agreement during an urgent meeting Tuesday afternoon at the merchant marine ministry. In a later press release, the ministry stressed that all margins for dialogue had been exhausted. As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, the order was in effect for the crews of all Greek-flagged vessels. "The government is obliged to reverse the damage and tension that have been caused by the extended strike and PNO's intransigence; the government is obliged to guarantee the rights of all Greek citizens in a legal and constitutional manner," government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos later told reporters at his regular press briefing on Wednesday. He also echoed other government officials in saying that most of the union's demands have been met, save for two, namely, another 25-percent increase in a junior crew member's lump sum pension payment, and what he called a demand for the "abolition" of taxes on junior crew members' income. "...given that in coastal shipping officers' incomes are taxed at 6 percent and junior crew members at 3 percent, while most Greek citizens pay taxes of between 15 and 40 percent, such a modification would exceed all constitutional boundaries, as it violates the concept of equality," Roussopoulos stressed. Meanwhile, a Piraeus court on Tuesday ruled that the previous days' strike, which commenced on Feb. 16, was legal up until 6 a.m. Wednesday. The strike has caused severe problems for travellers, island residents and produce farmers, among others, as scores of trucks loaded with perishable goods await passage to and from the mainland. Kefaloyiannis said after the meeting that the government had exhausted all margins for dialogue, while at the same time proposing solutions for all of PNO's institutional demands. (Caption: Trucks parked at the port of Piraeus, Greece's largest harbor, wait to board ferry boats on Wednesday. ANA photo / P. Saitas) ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved. [02] Bakoyannis: Athens' policy unchanged on Cyprus issueNew Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis on Wednesday reiterated Athens' standing policy vis-à-vis the Cyprus issue, noting that both Greece and the island republic continue to solidly support a just, viable and functional solution for Cyprus based on respect of EU values and UN resolutions "to the benefit of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike".The comments came during a meeting here between Bakoyannis, the former Athens mayor, and visiting Cyprus Foreign Minister George Iacovou. On her part, the Greek FM underlined that for any solution to be viable, it must be the product of an agreement that is, in turn, acceptable by both communities. She also supported resumption of a process leading to a solution, without however, tight deadlines and arbitration, as she said, "so that it (process) retains the largest number of elements for success". "We all agree that there are no more margins for a new failure," Bakoyanni said. In echoing standing Greek policy, meanwhile, Bakoyannis made it clear that efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue should not be confused with obligations that EU candidate-country Turkey has vis-à-vis the bloc. ANA photo / A. Beltes. ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved. [03] Commission issues positive review of Greek stability pactThe European Commission on Wednesday offered a positive assessment of Greece's updated stability programme for the period 2005-2008. An EU Executive's announcement said the Commission acknowledged the "significant efforts" made by Greek authorities to reduce the country's fiscal deficit, adding that a deficit target below 3.0 pct for this year was feasible if the government strictly adheres to its economic policy strategy. Greece submitted a new update of its stability programme, covering the period 2005-2008, on Dec. 21, 2005, the Commission said. The update set a deficit target below 3.0 pct this year, in accordance with the Council recommendation of February 2005. This would be achieved by means of both higher revenues and expenditure restraint, the report said. Greece's MTO is a balance budget in structural terms which is in line with the Pact. But progress towards the MTO falls short of the 0.5 pct annual adjustment benchmark set in the Pact, meaning that the objective of a budget on balance will not be reached within the programme period. A safety margin against breaching again the 3.0 pct deficit threshold with normal macroeconomic fluctuations does not seem to be provided, the Commission said. Despite the considerable correction effort in 2005, when the deficit is expected to have fallen to 4.3 pct from 6.6 pct the previous year, the budgetary outcomes might be less good than projected. The macroeconomic scenario is a rather favourable one and information is lacking as to the measures envisaged towards the end of the programme. Moreover, there are still some pending statistical issues related with an overestimation of surpluses of social security, which might lead to the revision of the 2005 deficit with possible carry over effects in 2006 and beyond. The EU's executive said Greece's debt is expected to have fallen to 107.9 pct of GDP in 2005, making it now the second-biggest in the Union after Italy's. The government plans to bring it below the 100-percent level in 2008 which is commendable, especially in view of the high risks that future pension and other age-related costs put on the long-term sustainability of the country's finances. Overall, the programme is consistent with the correction of the excessive deficit in 2006, provided that the envisaged adjustment is fully implemented and depending on the impact of possible further statistical revisions. It would also be appropriate to pursue further structural adjustment towards that goal. Greece must also ensure that the debt ratio is reduced at a satisfactory pace towards the 60 percent of GDP reference value and control public pension expenditure and implement the approved pension reforms so as to ensure long-term sustainability, and further improve the collection and processing of public finance statistics. The Commission said that Greece's economic stability programme would be assessed by the next ECOFIN council to be held in Brussels, March 13. EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia expressed his satisfaction over efforts made by Greece and the other five states to control their public finances. "All six states have set medium-term targets for their public finances in accordance with a reviewed stability and growth pact. Spain and Ireland are continuing to present a successful combination of strong growth and fiscal discipline. Holland shows that effective action can ensure rapid and continuous correction of fiscal imbalances. These examples should encourage other countries, such as Greece, France and Portugal, in continuing efforts to bring their fiscal situation in order," Almunia said. Greek Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis, commenting on the positive assessment of the European Commission over the country's updated stability programme, said it supported the government's effort to achieve the necessary fiscal restructuring. The Greek minister added that a government's commitment to strictly execute this year's budget -- to bring the fiscal deficit below 3.0 pct of GDP -- remained and stressed that another goal was fiscal adjustment together with high growth rates and lower unemployment.(Caption: EU Commission Joaquin Almunia is shown in a file photo during a meeting with Greek MPs in Parliament last October in Athens. ANA / P. Papaioannou) ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved. [04] PASOK criticises gov't over seamen's strikeMain opposition PASOK party spokesman Nikos Athanassakis, commenting on Wednesday on latest developments concerning the seamen's strike, said that sometimes the government behaves like Pontius Pilate and sometimes like Herod.Athanassakis said that the government's task is to solve problems, but the New Democracy party government appears to be creating crises itself and ignoring dialogue and understanding. The spokesman further stressed that the seamen are being harmed by the government's policy and accused the government of deceiving the inhabitants of islands and farmers. Also referring to the phone-tapping issue, Athanassakis said that when the investigation will have been completed "we shall see who will be the first to be pleased and who will be the last to laugh." He made his statement in response to a remark made by the government spokesman that the government will be the first to be pleased when the truth about the phone-tapping issue is revealed. ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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