The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 10-09-16

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Batopedi Case: Former PM May Be Summoned

Decision, on whether former Prime-minister Kostas Karamanlis will appear before the Parliament preliminary Inquiry Committee investigating the Batopedi transfer of land case, will be taken next week. The request was raised by LAOS deputy Thanasis Plevris after the statement by Katerina Peleki-wife of former minister George Bulgarakis- who dropped direct hints at the former prime-minister and his close aides. PASOK did not expressed its position as SYRIZA representative was absent. The deputy president of the Committee Yiannis Amoiridis, however, said: "possibility of summoning the former prime-minister is visible but it would be better to summon him after interrogation of ministers". Antonis Skylakos, GCP deputy, said: "my party would not have any objection to Mr. Karamanlis summoning".

ND party strongly reacted to Mrs. Peleki atack, stressing that she has changed her statement to take advantage of the favourable articles of the bill to alleviate her position since she is charged with involvement in the Vatopedi case. Indeed with her statement she confirms what the ND says, that is there is no flow of political money, there is no bribery of individuals and there is no scandal. The ND statement also reminds that after Dris-Fotiadis decisions, the ND bought the Visthonida Lake and the land on its bank from Batopedi Monastery and reached the political decision to return the land to farmers.

Mr. Karamanlis close aides told journalists: " there is no need to summon the former Prime-minister, he has said what he had to"

Sources: ���-���, ���, ��� 105.8

News item: 40928

[02] G. Papandreou: "Greece will Get out Stronger from Crisis"

Prime-minister G. Papandreou expressed certainty that Greece would come out stronger from the financial crisis in his statements prior to the EU Summit Meeting in Brussels. The works of the Summit opened with talks on issues related to EU financial ruling, implementation of Stability Pact and relations between strategic partners. Particular importance was placed on the agreement for EU-South Korea free trade, the first agreement of the EU 27 member states.

"We are in the right path"

"Greece will get out stronger. Europe will get out stronger". G. Papandreou

"We are in the right path. Greece is in the right path. We are going through a painful procedure but we are making progress, making real change", said the Prime-minister.

The EU Summit has placed emphasis on the study of the Financial Ruling Committee and review the financial situation in Europe.

Of particular importance are also talks with EU strategic partners mainly due to Turkey, reduction in EU member states-China trade deficit and automated sanctions on member states that do not observe fiscal obligations.

European socialist parties among others are expected to request imposition of Tobin tax on stock market transactions, a tax on banks, creation of unemployment observation mechanism at European level and withholding of subsidies for countries that deviate from Stability Pact.

Sources: ���, ��� 105.8, �NA-�PA News item: 40930

[03] Papakonstantinou Rules out Default

Finance Minister G. Papakonstantinou , who met with his French counterpart Christine Lagarde in Paris within the context of his tour of European capitals, said the first positive results of the Greek economic program are visible but there is still a long road ahead. In the afternoon , Mr. Papakonstantinou will fly to Frankfurt to meet with the chief of the European Central Bank , Jean-Claude Trichet. The Greek Finance Minister, in an interview with Financial Times newspaper in London on the sidelines of his briefing to foreign investors , strongly rejected the idea that Athens will be forced to restructure its debts, saying that a default would break the eurozone. "Restructuring is not going to happen. There are much broader implications for the eurozone should Greece have to restructure its debt," he said.

"We will regain credibility"

The costs of restructuring is very important to both Greece and the eurozone ,to its citizens, and access to markets. If Greece restructures, why on earth would people invest in other peripheral economies? It would be a fundamental break to the unity of the eurozone."

The minister's message to investors was reinforced by officials from the International Monetary Fund, European Union and the European Central Bank. Joining Mr Papaconstantinou in his briefings, a senior IMF official said "no one would benefit from a Greek default".

One investor at the London gathering said: "I cannot recall a time when the international community has lined up like this behind a country to try and help it win over investors. It was very convincing." However, others warned that Greece still had a long way to go to convince markets that it would not be forced to restructure its bonds.

Marco Annunziata, chief economist at UniCredit, said: "Many investors are not convinced that Greece will be able to avoid default. Athens has to cut costs and many consider the only way to do that is to restructure loans".

This would mean big losses, or haircuts, for bond holders, which include French and German banks and the ECB, which is estimated to be holding up to �40bn in Greek bonds as part of its government debt purchase program.

Mr Papaconstantinou admitted that it was not easy for Greece to regain its credibility but emerged certain that it would be achieved.

In response to what happens after 2013 when Greece's �110bn loan bail-out runs out Mr. Papakonstantinou said: "The answer is: primary surplus plus growth. The big problem for Greece is growth, but the reforms we have taken tackle that because the supply shock to the economy increases its growth potential".

Source: �NA-�PA

News item: 40927

[04] Truckers Remain on the Roads

The competent Parliament Committee today voted in principal and the articles of draft-bill providing for liberation of truck transport which has raised reactions by truck and tanker truck owners who have toughened their stand. The Parliament will pass the bill after a debate next week. Motorists driving through Elefsina toll station faced delays as trucks were parked along the road. Truckers had also parked their trucks in other parts of the national road network creating traffic problems. The government has said that it will take initiatives to prevent problems related to market supply.

Truckers will park their cars along the Athens- Thessaloniki national road at Velestino junction and along the Volos-Larisa old national road.

Truck owners and the International Transport Federation are against the opening of their occupation (restricted) so far while truck drivers are in favour of the draft-bill assessing that it will create new job positions.

In the meantime, the Parliament will promote liberation of all restricted professions in the next weeks.

Source: ��� - ��� 105.8 News item: 40925

[05] GSEE Report Signals Grim Prospects on Employment

GSEE-ADEDY Labour Institute report on Greek economy in 2010 signals grim prospects on employment. It says that number of jobless may rise to about one million people in 2011 and number of salary earners have for the first time dropped since 1968. It also refers that employees have lost 1 in 4 euros they have earned in the last decade due to harmonization and memorandum measures while they will lose 4.4% of their earnings this year alone and production will drop the same percentage points. GSEE president Yiannis Panagopoulos, presenting the report this morning, said that the world financial crisis is at a rapid pace turning into employment crisis leading to high unemployment levels.

Create Fiscal Developments Observatory

Labour Institute experts fear that unemployment rate may take up nightmarish dimension at the end of 2011, approaching 20% of the labour force.

GSEE president, Yiannis Panagopoulos said dealing with the crisis is not a one-way road, stressing there are solutions on the basis of redistribution of income as well as upgrading of production and technological infrastructure and announced the creation of fiscal developments Observatory.

Mr. Panagopoulos said European policies lead countries to an austerity measures competition and warned that the extent of the damage by domestic devaluation policies would be so big that many years would be needed to return to before financial crisis levels.

The report also refers to drop in the scale of profit taxation, combat of tax evasion and express fears recovery predicted for 2012-2013 would be so slow that would not absorb unemployment.

The report concludes proposing policies based on: redistribution of income-reorganization of the country's production force.

According to Hellenic Statistics Service data number of unemployed approaches 600.000 in the second quarter of 2010. Unemployment rate stood at 11,8% compared against 11,7% in the last quarter and 8.9% in the same quarter in 2009.

Source: ��� 105.8 News item: 40910

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