Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 13-04-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] DIM.AR's Kouvelis meets Barroso, calls for halt to recession, unemployment in Greece

[02] Greek budget deficit falls sharply to 1.35 billion euros in Q1

[03] Brokerage firm board members arrested for billions of euros of unpaid debts to the state

[01] DIM.AR's Kouvelis meets Barroso, calls for halt to recession, unemployment in Greece

In statements as he left the meeting with Barroso at the European Commission, Kouvelis said he'd expressed DIM.AR's opposition to "the austerity policies destroying society and undermining the prospects of an exit from the economic crisis". The party leader stressed that the only answer to the recession was to take immediate measures to kickstart the growth process.

Kouvelis said he had also emphasised the dire state of Greek society as a result of galloping unemployment and the need to take immediate steps to provide a social safety net, as well as a targeted reduction in taxes. Among these tax reductions, he suggested VAT on restaurant and catering services and taxes for heating oil.

DIM.AR's leader asked Barroso to speed up and extend the transfer of National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) funds, their reorientation and an increase in the advance from the 2014-2020 support framework, as well as a more active role for the European Investment Bank.

Expressing the opinion that austerity policies and an increase of inequality within Europe will fuel centrifugal tendencies, a return to a narrow nationalist focus and greater strength to political extremes, Kouvelis stressed that Europe's future prospects lay in a real economic and political unification.

Meeting with EuroParliament socialists' group leader Swoboda

Kouvelis, speaking after his meeting head of the European Parliament's Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Hannes Swoboda, stressed that "we must struggle for a Europe that forges ahead with its political and economic unification".

"We had an extremely useful discussion with Mr. Swoboda on the issues affecting Europe, which must emerge from the recession, exit austerity and forge ahead with the peoples of Europe," he said.

According to his aides, the meeting was held in a very good climate and there was broad agreement on the need to end austerity policies in Europe.

Swoboda noted that, while it was important for reforms to take place, people's needs must also be taken into account, because only in this way could the reforms have the support of the citizens.

While in Brussels, DIM.AR's president is also scheduled to meet Greece's European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki.

[02] Greek budget deficit falls sharply to 1.35 billion euros in Q1

In a report, the ministry said the regular budget recorded a primary surplus of 520 million euros in the January-March period, from a deficit of 334 million euros in 2012 and a revised target for a primary deficit of 2.338 billion euros.

Net state budget revenue totaled 12.338 billion euros in the first three months of the year, up 8.7 pct from a budget target. The regular budget's net revenue totaled 10.724 billion euros, up 1.5 pct from a budget target, reflecting a 16.6 pct increase in proceeds from property taxes, a 74.5 pct jump in indirect tax proceeds and 3.9 pct rise in income tax proceeds. On the other hand, VAT proceeds fell by 6.1 pct in the three-month period, special consumption taxes (tobacco) fell 19.8 pct and energy consumption taxes were down 5.1 pct.

Tax returns totaled 213 million euros in the first quarter, not including a 570 million euros payment for the repayment of previous year's tax returns.

Public Investment Programme's revenues totaled 1.614 billion euros, up from a budget target of 790 million euros, reflecting higher EU fund inflows.

State budget spending totaled 13.692 billion euros in the January-March period, down from a budget target of 15.538 billion euros. Regular budget spending was down in the first quarter. State budget spending fell by 32.7 pct in the first three months of 2013, compared with the same period last year, reflecting an 11.1 pct decline in primary spending and a 73 pct plunge in interest spending.

[03] Brokerage firm board members arrested for billions of euros of unpaid debts to the state

The arrest of the 40-year-old former vice-president of the brokerage, Theodoros Priniotakis, and his two sisters Christina and Katerina, aged 30 and 37, both former board members, followed the arrest a few days ago of the company's former president.

The brokerage firm was involved in the structured bonds scandal that erupted in Greece in 2007 and has since had its license revoked.

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