Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 13-03-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] Higher ED reform plan 'Athena' unveiled amid student protests

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines on Wednesday

[03] Troika heads confer with FinMin, to see PM on Thursday

[04] PPC to sign 1.4-bln-euro lignite power station project

[05] Foreign ministry officials, large business delegation, to visit Azerbaijan

[06] Nestle Hellas to continue investing in Greece

[07] Troika heads meet with FinMin, Development and Labor ministers

[01] Higher ED reform plan 'Athena' unveiled amid student protests

The proposed reform plan, which is the product of public debate, will be presented to MPs and all interested parties by Education Minister Konstantinos Arvanitopoulos.

During the presentation, students will demonstrate outside the University of Athens administration building against the planned abolition and mergers of higher education schools and departments. According to students, the reforms will downgrade their studies and diplomas.

Students plan to rally at Propylaia, central Athens, at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to protest the discussion of a bill in Parliament on higher education that calls for merging and closures of departments or schools.

Education Minister Constantinos Arvanitopoulos will be presenting the bill, dubbed "Athena", before the Parliament's education committee, which will discuss it the same day. Released late Tuesday evening, the bill hopes to upgrade studies and strengthen degrees, the minister said.

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines on Wednesday

AVGHI: "Bank 'surcharge' on households - Drop in interest rates on new deposits, rise in interest on new loans".

DIMOKRATIA: "New Democracy (ND) MPs, high-ranking cadres, severely chide government's economic staff, during informational meeting on the economy, albeit in Finance Minister Yannis Stouranaras' absence".

EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: "Seizures (of salaries and pensions) for 600 euros and up (in debts to state)".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Definitive end to relocation of thousands of university students".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "1 billion euro 'hole' (shortfall) in IKA (state Social Security Foundation) sucks in the low pensions".

ESTIA: "SYRIZA (main opposition parties) proposals (for tax programme) copy PASOK (proposals unveiled before the October 2009 elections".

ETHNOS: "Changes to university department selection system for this year's' entrants".

KATHIMERINI: "The changes in the government a 'Gordian Knot' for Maximos Mansion (government headquarters)".

KERDOS: "Qatar seeking investment opportunities in Greece".

LOGOS: "Undeclared labor rampant".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "First move of relaxation of European austerity".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Prevention, rehabilitation, re-assimilation (into society) with free, public structures and programmes".

TA NEA: "End to installments and seizure of assets, for VAT debts to state for businessmen, self-employed professionals".

VRADYNI: "New arrangement for debts to social security funds".

6DAYS: "They're playing with the lives of the heart patients - Greek Cardiology Society charges that, citing cutbacks, medical supplies committee imposes use of material that increases post-operative risk of patients' relapse".

[03] Troika heads confer with FinMin, to see PM on Thursday

The 2 1/2-hour meeting was also attended by alternate finance minister Christos Staikouras, deputy minister George Mavraganis, secretary general for state revenues Haris Theocharis, Mark Flanagan of the IMF's European Department and IMF permanent representative in Athens Bob Traa.

The Troika heads -- IMF mission chief for Greece Poul Thomsen (deputy director of the IMF's European Department), Matthias Mors (EC Director for the member states' economies) who heads the EC's delegation to the Troika and ECB division chief Klaus Masuch -- will confer for a third time with Stournaras on Sunday before they leave Greece to draw up their progress report on Greece's fiscal adjustment.

They are due to have subsequent meetings on Wednesday with Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis, and with Labor Minister Yannis Vroutsis at the ministry, with talks focusing on labor affairs and the critical issue of the minimum salary.

The Troika heads will be received by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Thursday.

The new inspection of the Greek economy focuses on eight basic aspects which pertain to the course of execution of the state budget, projections for 2013, unemployment, the structural changes, materialisation of the 'prior actions' for the March tranche (reduction of the public sector, pharmaceutical prices), the denationalisations programme, the recapitalisation of the Greek banks and tax administration.

Finance Ministry sources told AMNA later that the talks were held in a "very good climate", and the negotiations Wednesday concerned the implementation of the fiscal adjustment programme, mainly focusing on the 2013 budget, reforms and the 'prior actions' for the disbursement of March's tranche of the bailout loan (reduction of the public sector, medicine prices).

The sources said that the 2.8 billion euro March tranche hinges to a great degree on the Administrative Reform ministry, given that reserve labor and mobility in the public sector are a fundamental 'prior action' for the release of the tranche.

The sources added that the lenders are increasing the pressure and demanding the acceleration of procedures (disciplinary and other) so that some 7,000 civil servants who have breached their duty, as well as those appointed by virtue of false credentials, be immediately placed on suspension.

So far, efforts to suspend the civil servants in breach of duty have proved excessively time-consuming, resulting in just 884 civil servants having been placed on unpaid lead and another 1,890 on suspension to date, while the total number of civil servants targeted for 2013 is 25,000.

[04] PPC to sign 1.4-bln-euro lignite power station project

The 1.4-billion-euro project is one of the biggest productive investments made in the country for a long time and one of the biggest energy investments in Greece. The new unit will use state-of-the-art technology and will be environmentally-friendly, using local lignite as a fuel. It will have power of 660 MW plus 140 MW for tele-heating, replacing older and low efficiency grade lignite units in the area.

Environmental performance of the new power unit will comply with the strictest requirements of European and national legislation and its operation will fundamentally enhance the stability of the electricity grid in the country. The project will create hundreds of new job positions (up to 3,000 workers during construction and more than 250 workers as permanent staff).

[05] Foreign ministry officials, large business delegation, to visit Azerbaijan

Rapid development in the country that lies between western Asia and eastern Europe has attracted interest because of Azerbaijan's wealth of energy resources and construction activity, also expressed in the fact that Greek-based Aegean Airlines currently fly directly from Athens to capital city Baku twice a week, a schedule that may be continued past the coming summer.

Diplomatic sources mentioned that areas of interest include pharmaceuticals, fashion, consulting companies, and accounting services.

Kourkoulas will be accompanied by Foreign Secretary General Panagiotis Michalos. They are both scheduled to meet with the Azerbaijani ministers of development, industry and energy, tourism and the deputy foreign minister.

The Greek-Azerbaijani business forum is scheduled to open proceedings on Wednesday; it will continue on Thursday with company presentations and meetings which will wrap up with a press conference.

[06] Nestle Hellas to continue investing in Greece

In a statement, Nestle Hellas said that "neither Mr. Raymond Franke nor any other representative of our company ever made such a request in their recommendations to improving business environment in Greece".

Nestle Hellas said it is its strategic decision to remain in Greece and continue investing in the country through its factories. The company operates four factories in the country with a workforce of more than 1,000 permanent workers and despite adverse business and economic environment prevailing in the country it did not made in reductions in personnel or wages. Nestle Hellas plans to invest 8.0 million euros to modernize its factories and develop new products.

[07] Troika heads meet with FinMin, Development and Labor ministers

The Troika heads will meet with Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras for deliberations focusing on the course of execution of the 2013 state budget, measures to clamp down on tax evasion and progress in the denationalisations programme, as well as the thorny issue of layoffs in the public sector.

At noon on Wednesday, the Troika heads will meet with Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis, who earlier will hold talks with a group of German MPs, members of the German parliament's finance committee, who are currently visiting Greece.

At 2:00 in the afternoon, the Troika heads will meet with Labor Minister Yannis Vroutsis at the ministry, with talks focusing on labor affairs and the critical issue of the minimum salary.

The Troika heads will be received by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Thursday.

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