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Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-06-24Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] FinMin: Our goal is to regain credibilityANA-MPA/Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Thursday stressed that "within the framework of the Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy a finalisation of certain choices that are fair and acceptable to our partners are being made."Speaking during a press conference, Venizelos stated that "our goal is to regain our credibility and create the preconditions for a more effective negotiation on our fiscal problem and in particular, the long-range sustainability of our debt."ana-mpa "It is crucial that the medium-term programme and the law executing it will be voted in Parliament by June 30, because the medium-term programme is the precondition for the fifth aid instalment," he said. Among the measures mentioned by the minister of finance are, the establishing the same price for diesel used for heating and other commercial uses for businesses, a higher special tax on heating oil for households, and a one-off 5 percent contribution for all public officials, such as parliamentart deputies and local government administrators, whether appointed and elected. ana-mpa The tax-free allowance for real estate property holdings will be reduced to 200,000 euros, an extra 'solidarity' tax ranging from 1 pct to 5 pct will be imposed on all incomes, a 'enterprise fee' of around 300 euros for all business people were other measures envisaged.ana-mpa There will also be a 10 percent tax on the section of personal income between 8,000-12,000 euros - exempting those under 30 years old, pensioners over 65, the disabled and possibly those in low-paid temporary employment as freelance workers. The 'solidarity levy' will range from 1 percent for incomes between 12,000 and 20,000 euro, 2 percent for incomes over 20,000 euro to 50,000 euro, 3 percent for incomes over 50,000 until 100,000 and 4 percent for all incomes greater than 100,000 euro a year. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [02] Exhibition of Hungarian modern art in AthensANA-MPA/Greek entrepreneur Nikolaos Karavasilis, a noted collector of Hungarian modern art, has organised an exhibition of contemporary Hungarian paintings from his private collection, according to a press release by the Hungarian embassy on Thursday.The exhibition was inaugurated on Wednesday by Hungarian State Secretary János Halász and Hungarian ambassador to Greece József Tóth at the Newplan exhibition centre in downtown Athens, part of the series of cultural events during the ongoing Hungarian EU presidency. The exhibition will be open to the public until July 20. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [03] General strike called for June 28-29ANA-MPA/Greece's two major umbrella labor federations representing the public and private sector on Thursday called a 48-hour nationwide general strike for June 28 and 29 to coincide with a debate and vote in parliament on the government's Medium-Term fiscal programme and its Implementation Law, which is a condition for disbursement of the 12 billion euros 5th tranche of the 110 billion euro EU-IMF bailout loan to Greece.According to the General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) and the civil servants' umbrella federation ADEDY, the 48-hour strike is an escalation of their recent industrial action comprising 24-hour nationwide strikes in protest of the Medium-Term programme. A main demonstration will be held on Tuesday, June 28, at the Pedion tou Areos park in central Athens at 11:00 in the morning, while on Wednesday another demonstration will be held in downtown Klafthmonos Square.ana-mpa A GSEE announcement said the central demands include rejection of the measures contained "in the Mid-Term programme and the Memorandums 1 and 2", and "rejection of austerity, halting the climate of layoffs and rising unemployment, the imposition of respect and implementation of the collective labor agreements, and halting the sell-off of public utilities and state organisations". ADEDY, in its own announcement, accused the government and the Troika of following a "destructive path" for the workers and society, and called on civil servants to participate in the strike mobilisation in order to obstruct the ratification of the Medium-Term programme and the new anti-popular measures. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [04] Stolen rare book foundANA-MPA/A valuable rare book that disappeared from Thessaloniki's Aristotle University (AUTH) eight years ago has surfaced.The volume, entitled "Geschichte und Denkmaeler des byzantinischen Emails", written by N. Kondakow, had been stolen from the history and archaeology faculty in 2003. It was found last Monday abandoned on the 7th floor stairway in the university administration building. ana-mpa The leather bound book is one of 200 numbered copies printed in Frankfurt in 1892 and refers to the history and monuments of Byzantine enamels. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [05] Development minister on loans, investmentsANA-MPA/Development, Competitiveness and Shipping Minister Mihalis Chryssohoidis, speaking at the Emporiki Bank's "This is Greece" event, said there is a lack of investing boldness in the country and termed this trend "justified" since, as he said, "on a daily basis a big question looms over the country on whether we shall succeed or not.""We need less loans and more investments. We achieved this in our negotiations with the troika. This is and must be our basic political and strategic option in our negotiations with our partners in Europe as well," the minister said. Referring to existing problems, the minister reiterated the ascertainment that there is a big fluidity deficit in the market with thousands of businesses being unable to cope with daily needs. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [06] Gov't on fixed matchesANA-MPA/Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos on Thursday told the ANA-MPA that Greek professional football is entering a phase of catharsis, pointing out that the first step made within the framework of this effort is aimed at reforming the sector to allow its healthy forces to emerge.Geroulanos said a match-fixing case is in the hands of justice and that the first decisive step has been made. He also sent a clear message to the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) that "the sports law should become stricter otherwise the next championship will take place without public financing, stadiums or public-run television coverage."ana-mpa The state will speed up the draft law on professional sports, which will include clauses for the prevention of violence in sports venues and measures against doping and other football plagues, he stressed, pointing out that early next month the relevant draft law will be brought to the cabinet for approval. ana-mpa Geroulanos said that "an investigation is underway by the financial crimes squad (SDOE) focusing on money-laundering and illegal betting," while police intensifies inspections in football fan clubs, stressing that the bad economic situation the country is in was directly linked with lawlessness. On the fate of the football championship in the new season, Geroulanos stressed that it is too soon to make any comments. Earlier in the day, authorities had announced the names of 15 people suspected of "fixing" matches in the Greek first division "Super League" football championship, including Kavala FC owner Makis Psomiadis, Olympiacos Volos top executive Achilleas Beos and coach Yiannis Papacostas. The case first surfaced after the European football federation UEFA uncovered irregular betting patterns involving first- and second-division club matches. © ANA-MPA SA. Intellectual rights and copyright belong to the ANA-MPA S.A. Reproduction of ANA-MPA content by visitors of this website is strictly forbidden. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [07] ND leader at EPP's summitANA-MPA/Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party leader Antonis Samaras remained steadfast on his position on the need for a different economic policy mixture for the exit from the crisis, despite intense pressures exerted on him during the summit meeting of the European People's Party (EPP) in Brussels on Thursday.The ND leader reiterated to his counterparts that he agrees with the targets and the fiscal restructuring means, meaning with the elimination of the deficit, the curbing of the debt, the decrease in state extravagance and the structural changes.ana-mpa He pointed out that all these constitute proposals of his party, proposals that ND has supported and will continue to support in the Greek Parliament as well. Samaras clarified that he is demanding much more than the government can do both in privatisations and in the state's property utilisation, but he clarified that ND disagrees with the policy mixture that has already led to a deep and prolonged recession, that has paralysed the economy and has annulled the restructuring programme. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [08] Athens Fringe FestivalANA-MPA/Athens Fringe Festival 2011, the Greek capital's annual international arts festival is held in Athens municipality's Technopolis events center and other locations around the city, with the 2011 theme being "Smile in the mind".The third annual Festival, which runs through June 26, is organised by the Synthesis Media Company in collaboration with the renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the biggest off-Festival on the planet. Adopting the successful Fringe format, the Festival aims to present the work of young, upcoming Greek and European artists representing all art forms. Athens Fringe Festival is an open-to-all celebration of the arts, a true off-Athens Festival. The organisers invite artists, visitors and volunteers alike to think about what makes them happy and be inspired by that. All forms of art have a place in the Athens Fringe Festival, from music, dance and theater to literature, crafts, video art and installations. Fringe is much more than a festival, it is a social network, but unlike the Internet social networks, it is not virtual but living, with live actions and interventions in the everday life of the city. A novelty this year will be a double-decker bus that will take artists around the cities of Athens for "lightning" performances, bringing the Festival to the public itself. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [09] Athens Newspaper HeadlinesThe Friday edition of Athens' dailies at a glanceThe new tax measures announced by Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos and the fixed football games case, dominated the headlines on Friday in Athens' newspapers. ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Tens of 'godfathers' charged". AVGHI: "Brutality against salary earners and pensioners". ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Heavy surcharges". ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Final blow to incomes". ESTIA: "Final blow with new taxes". ETHNOS: "Shocking contribution for those who earn over 12,000 euros per year". IMERISSIA: "5.5 billion euros extraordinary taxes". KATHIMERINI: "Heavy tax burden for all". NAFTEMPORIKI: "Harsher mix of measures with long lasting tax raid". RIZOSPASTIS: �48h labour strike on Tuesday and Wednesday". TA NEA: "Couple with annual income of 65,000 euros will pay 2,275 euros for the extraordinary solidarity contribution". VRADYNI: "Society facing the firing squad". More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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