Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-06-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Costas Karamanlis addresses ND pre-conference on SMEs

[02] Decrease in temperatures as from Thursday

[01] PM Costas Karamanlis addresses ND pre-conference on SMEs

The prime minister said that reforms are producing results with gradually increasing rates, adding that many reforms scheduled by the government will be implemented soon.

"Our great qualitative difference from yesterday and those who express it in our system of values is that in our political practice, that we are placing at the centre of our vision for the country, there is no place neither for complacency nor for great and easy words," Karamanlis said.

"We are in the middle of an uphill road to enable the economy to reach where we want it to, to restrict bureaucracy once and for all, to drastically reduce the time and procedures required to the levels of our European partners," he added.

The prime minister further said that changes and reforms are being continued because they are necessary, adding that they are being continued with the support of a wide social alliance, with dialogue and a composition of views because they are producing a benefit for all.

Karamanlis referred to the integrated policy on small and medium-size enterprises, saying that a national council of SMEs has been created in which the business community is participating actively, while the national quality council has been upgraded with a provision for special action for the implementation of quality tools in SMEs.

Lastly, he stressed that SMEs constitute a priority for the government's economic and development policy, pointing out that SMEs in Greece represent 99 percent of all businesses and compose the foundation of the economy, while creating seven out of 10 jobs and constituting an undoubtedly strong capital for the economy and the development process.

Addressing the conference, Finance and Economy Minister George Alogoskoufis said that support for SMEs is a top priority for the government.

Referring to government policy, the minister said that "we are supporting the investments plans of businesses with the new investments law, we are strengthening the exports policy, we are placing Greece in every market in the world and we are strengthening competition in the banking system."

ND Secretary Lefteris Zagoritis also addressed the conference, accusing the main opposition PASOK party of trying "to cover up its political vacuum with tactics of tension and polarisation."

Zagoritis further said that unlike PASOK, the New Democracy government is supporting SMEs and considers them a basic lever of economic development and the backbone of the national economy.

[02] Decrease in temperatures as from Thursday

Temperatures were at or above the 40C mark for a second consecutive day, with weather forecasts, thankfully, pointing to a gradual decrease with a distinctly cooler weekend in store. High temperatures overnight also didn�t allow the grid, distribution stations and breakers to cool off properly, state-run PPC said in a statement.

Power interruptions were reported in almost a dozen greater Athens districts on Wednesday, where demand in Attica prefecture reached 4,118 MW.

The islands of Lesvos and Syros also experienced power outages, while power generation was down on Crete due to a malfunction at a local station.

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