Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-06-11

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papantoniou hints at 2003 tax reforms during NET broadcast

[02] Tsohatzopoulos hopeful latest initiative will succeed in FYROM

[03] Interior Minister says PASOK needs 'new start' in 'Ethnos' interview

[04] Pangalos blasts Premier, Mitsotakis in TV interview

[05] PASOK second Pan-European conference opens in Germany

[06] Deputy minister begins tour to inspect island health facilities

[07] Christodoulos on IDs: No law valid if sovereign people against

[08] Karatzas predicts changes to banking sector, eventual ASE recovery

[09] Stricter anti-seismic building requirements mulled

[10] Minister praises quality of Cretan exports

[11] Moderate quake rattles Aegean isles, Asia Minor coast

[12] Noted Greek actress Irene Papas honored by Italian university

[13] Onassis Foundation announces winners of theatre play competition

[14] Irish 'No' a setback for candidate countries, foreign minister says

[01] Papantoniou hints at 2003 tax reforms during NET broadcast

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

Presenting a planned reform of the tax system envisioned for the year 2003, Papantoniou also ruled out the imposition of new taxes for any income group and spoke about possible reductions.

More specifically, he announced plans to increase the portion of untaxed income and to reduce taxation for businesses. He also said there might be leeway to reduce taxation on private vehicles after 2003 but ruled out cuts in fuel tax, since Greece already charged the minimum allowed by the European Union.

Asked to comment on whether there was political responsibility for the poor performance of the Athens bourse, Papantoniou denied that his ministry could be held responsible for the upward or downward course of the stock market.

He also reiterated the government's position on the convergence of average incomes in Greece (now at 70 per cent of the EU average) with those of the EU, predicting that this would be completed within 10 to 12 years, or a maximum of 15, depending on growth rates in Greece.

We need robust growth of about 5 per cent, at least two or three points above the EU average - in order to cover the difference, Papantoniou added.

The minister ruled out the possibility of a change of leadership within PASOK, while criticizing those who raised the issue:

"Those who think like this harm themselves, as well as the government and the party, because it is not right for a party to go to elections while its leadership is doubted."

He said a probable date for nationwide parliamentary elections would be April 2004, before the start of the Olympic Games in August of that year.

Regarding the municipal elections, he said it "would be a mistake to give political and party overtones to the local elections - the winner will be local government." An important exception to this, he added, would be Athens, Thessaloniki and Piraeus, where the choices would be "necessarily political" but spoke of overcoming party politics here also by choosing candidates with widespread support throughout the political spectrum.

[02] Tsohatzopoulos hopeful latest initiative will succeed in FYROM

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

He also blamed the violence in FYROM on what he called "extremists" emanating from NATO-administered Kosovo.

Speaking at the BCA "Money Show" conference in Athens on the issue of "Security, Development and Greece's Role in the Mediterranean", Tsohatzopoulos also emphasized Greece's role in efforts by other Balkan states to join Euro-Atlantic organizations.

[03] Interior Minister says PASOK needs 'new start' in 'Ethnos' interview

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

She admits in the interview that the government is now going through a crisis created through its own mistakes, chiefly in its handling of social insurance reform, which she said was approached "with the thinking of an accountant."

She expresses confidence, however, that this crisis will be overcome as others have been in the past, provided that the party stops looking inward and turns its attention to the problems of society.

Papandreou's remedy for overturning the negative climate is "work, work, work," while she countered questions on the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle by saying that there were neither "immovable" nor "discredited" ministers.

Asked if she might stand against Prime Minister Costas Simitis for the leadership of the party at the coming PASOK conference, she replied that Simitis had the confidence of the Greek people and that the "popular mandate cannot be the object of a party conference."

Regarding the possibility of a successor to Simitis if the party lost the elections, she refused to reply, saying only that "none of us have the luxury of preparing their own future through a PASOK defeat."

The minister also referred to certain business people, who she said appeared to be playing "political games". She pointed out that businesses had increased their profits and that business circles had a measure of responsibility for securing the country's progress, while calling on them to use the positive framework created by the government's economic policy.

Indicating that she planned to ask for changes to election laws, she predicted, nevertheless, that these were unlikely to come about, since the new Constitution required a broad majority for such amendments and the opposition parties would be unlikely to agree.

Finally, she ruled out the creation of metropolitan municipal authorities, but not special metropolitan functions in large urban centers.

[04] Pangalos blasts Premier, Mitsotakis in TV interview

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

During an interview on the Panorama program on private ALPHA television channel, Pangalos once again sounded the warning bell for PASOK, citing recent opinion polls that showed Simitis and ND leader Costas Karamanlis virtually tied as the most popular candidates for the premiership, adding that it would be very difficult to reverse the climate.

Despite the criticism and the fact that the premier had "obviously lost the confidence of the people", Pangalos explained that he was not withdrawing his confidence from Simitis, who he said he still considered the most appropriate person to lead PASOK in the next elections and the only one capable of ensuring PASOK's unity and the party's best performance in the elections.

As for ND, he said the main opposition party at this time was not in a position to govern Greece to the country's benefit, adding that if PASOK dealt seriously and systematically with the problems faced by the country, it would find the appropriate solutions and regain its popularity.

Pangalos proposed a lengthy meeting -- "one or two days" -- of the PASOK executive bureau to discuss all the important policy issues. He criticized the party's organs of holding typical meetings without taking decisions except on some burning current issues, such as the social insurance sector.

The former minister claimed that the problem that broke out over the government's proposed social security reforms would never have arisen if there had been a prior discussion by the executive bureau. When the matter was brought to a joint meeting of the executive bureau and the Inner Cabinet, it was too late, he said.

Pangalos also launched a scathing attack on Mitsotakis, who he said was responsible for a "national crime" since, at the EU summit in Lisbon, when Mitsotakis was prime minister, he had concentrated on the FYROM name issue instead of pushing for Cyprus' accession to the European Union at the same time as Finland, Sweden and Austria.

"If he had dealt with Cyprus, today the island republic would have been a member of the European Union," Pangalos said.

[05] PASOK second Pan-European conference opens in Germany

FRANKFURT, 11/06/2001 (ANA - V. Tsiorou)

PASOK secretary Costas Skandalidis outlined the new vision for the ruling party following attainment of the target of Greece's accession to EMU, addressing the opening of the two-day conference of representatives of party organizations from 15 European countries.

Skandalidis spoke of necessity for reversing the climate that has recently been created in the party, a responsibility which he said ran from the party leader and premier Costas Simitis to each and every member of the PASOK central committee.

He said PASOK's modern-day vision was to render Greece a strong regional power in the Balkans and SE Europe, and also tackle the long-standing problems of poverty and unemployment, "to which new problems are added, those of the multi-cultural society and electronic democracy".

"PASOK must discover a new model of prosperity," he said.

Another new vision for Greece was to enable the country to play an important role in boosting the common European foreign policy, "a target that will provide solutions to the problems with neighboring Turkey," Skandalidis added.

He staunchly defended the policy of foreign minister George Papandreou "who is facing strong criticism", stressing that the Helsinki Agreement protected Greece's national issues and put Turkey in a defensive position.

Skandalidis said Greece's upcoming presidency of the EU in the first half of 2003 would be an opportunity to achieve the target of a Common European Policy with Greece having a substantial say in the matter, since during that period decisions would be taken on important issues such as whether a Fourth Community Support Framework (CSF) would be forthcoming, on EU structural issues, and on issues concerning the future member-countries.

He stressed the need for initiatives by and unity of PASOK for a successful course, as recently "we have been losing battles without having a war going on", citing such examples as the social security reforms.

Turning to the next municipal elections, Skandalidis said that although many in PASOK were speaking of a party defeat, in the other camps main opposition New Democracy had nothing to propose and the Left was stagnating in its crisis, while the center -- referring to Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos and his recently-formed Movement of Free Citizens -- was gradually losing its luster.

As for the talk of succession in PASOK, Skandalidis said it was "unthinkable for a party, just one year after general elections and at the beginning of its four-year term, to concern itself with such issues".

Also scheduled to address the conference Saturday was secretary general for oversees Greeks Grigoris Niotis.

Delegates focus on 'bread-and-butter' concerns rather than policy: Delegates attending the second day of ruling PASOK's Pan-European Conference in Frankfurt surprised the representatives of the party and government on Sunday with an unexpected focus on practical and financial problems, leaving to one side broader issues of PASOK policy raised by Central Committee Secretary Costas Skandalidis the previous day.

Gathering representatives of party organizations from 15 European countries, this is the second PASOK conference for expatriate Greeks in Europe since 1997.

Key questions concerned the taxation of pensions, high taxation of vehicles that forced expatriates to leave the country every six months to avoid payment, taxation of rents earned in Greece and other issues of a similar nature.

Expatriates also complained of poor channels of communication with the Greek State, insufficient information from embassies and communities and the huge quantities of paperwork involved in repatriation. Another problem raised was the stock market.

Some of the expatriates concerns were answered by Deputy Economy Minister Apostolos Fotiadis, who said Greece had signed agreements with all European countries to avoid double taxation, but pointed out that private and state pensions were treated differently.

He informed the conference that first homes had 100 per cent tax relief, while expatriates that chose to settle in Thrace for at least five years would also qualify for full tax relief on their home there, even if it was not their first.

[06] Deputy minister begins tour to inspect island health facilities

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

The tour began on Samos, where Samos MP Pythagoras Vardikos accompanied her.

[07] Christodoulos on IDs: No law valid if sovereign people against

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

He was speaking from the pulpit at the cathedral of Aghios Eleftherios in the Halandri district of north Athens.

The debate over whether to delete the decades-old religious affiliation category from police-issued identification cards has dramatically soured Church-state relations for exactly one year now in the predominately Orthodox nation of 11 million.

The government has steadfastly maintained that religious affiliation is a domain falling entirely within the confines of a citizen's personal data, thereby it should not be included on a state-issued ID.

Conversely, the powerful Autocephalus Orthodox Church of Greece counters that citizens should have the right to choose if they so wish to list their religious affiliation. Along those lines, a Holy Synod spokesman said last week that Orthodox Churches around Greece have collected some 2.8 million signatures in order to force a referendum on whether to allow for an optional listing.

[08] Karatzas predicts changes to banking sector, eventual ASE recovery

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

Karatzas did not rule out, meanwhile, the prospects of buy-outs, mergers and alliances by the National Bank.

Regarding the bourse, he estimated that its current doldrums were due to temporary circumstances and that the market would stabilize and even go up given time. One reason he presented was the ASE's promotion to developed market, which meant the departure of some investors and the placement of others - without, however, the two events coinciding neatly.

Asked about the possibility of a banking group being formed in Greece that would be able to forage outside Greek borders, Karatzas said that the National Bank was currently the only domestic banking enterprise that was large enough "to have a dignified presence on the international scene," and a network in 18 countries. "This is not a small size," he added.

He clarified, however, that the National Bank's size, even at its present levels, still needed to be increased to keep abreast of the changes.

He said that no buyout or merger by National Bank was currently pending, but that the bank was "constantly on the lookout for opportunities."

Commenting on developments in the domestic banking sector, meanwhile, Karatzas noted that change was inevitable. "It is important for the Greek economy for our country to have ban-king institutions of a comparable size to those in Ireland or Portugal," he said.

[09] Stricter anti-seismic building requirements mulled

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

Sources said changes to the anti-seismic regulations were being examined to establish stricter specifications for building construction in highly seismic areas.

Although the Athens quake was not of a large magnitude, the destruction it caused has prompted authorities to re-examine the existing building requirements in order to boost anti-seismic protection through improvement of the current anti-seismic regulations.

Five scientific institutes and laboratories -- three in Athens, one in Thessaloniki and one in Patras -- have undertaken the task of updating the country's seismic risk map, on which the new regulations will be based. The institutes' report is due to be completed in the next six months.

Addressing a meeting of representatives of anti-seismic protection agencies of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member countries on Saturday in Thessaloniki, the chairman of the BSEC committee on earthquakes, Greek seismologist Vassilis Papazahos, stressed the need to speed up the process of developing an active anti-seismic policy.

"Only in this way can we substantially reduce the consequences of earthquakes in the existing technical constructions, 95 percent of which have been built under the old anti-seismic regulations or without such regulations, and possibly without even being overseen by an engineer," Papazahos said.

Also to be discussed at the meeting is the establishment of a secretariat of anti-seismic protection agencies of the BSEC member countries. According to sources, Greece and Russia have expressed interest in hosting the headquarters of such a secretariat.

[10] Minister praises quality of Cretan exports

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

He made the statements from Irakleio, Crete, where he attended an annual conference by the Federation of Cretan Exporters.

The minister also praised what he called Cretan exporters' emphasis on quality, one of the reasons the large Greek island often outclasses other regions in Greece.

[11] Moderate quake rattles Aegean isles, Asia Minor coast

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

Seismologists pinpointed the tremor's epicenter in a sea region west of the island of Hios and south of the island of Psara, some 170 kilometers east of Athens. It was recorded at 4:11 p.m. local time. No damages or injuries had been reported by press time.

According to wire reports, staff from an observatory in western Turkey measured the quake at 5.7 on the Richter scale. No reports of damages were issued from Turkey either.

Meanwhile, seismologists at the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki were later quoted as saying that the quake emanated from an approximately 50-kilometre rift valley known as the Greek portion of the well-known "Anatolia" rift.

More than 18,000 people were killed when two devastating earthquakes hit northwestern Turkey in 1999. A few days later, a quake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck Athens, killing more than 140 people.

The same underground fissure in the eastern Aegean has been inactive since 1890, when a 6.2 on the Richter scale earthquake devastated Hios and Psara, researchers in Thessaloniki said.

[12] Noted Greek actress Irene Papas honored by Italian university

ROME, 11/06/2001 (ANA - L. Hatzikyriakos)

Papas was awarded an honorary doctorate in arts and letters by the university's faculty.

[13] Onassis Foundation announces winners of theatre play competition

Athens, 11/06/2001 (ANA)

According to a press release dated June 7, the first prize, worth US$ 150,000, went to Daniel du Plantis from the USA for the play "Past Tenses Ever Present" the second prize of $100,000 was won by Deborah Baley Brevoort, again from the USA, for the play "The women of Lockerbie" and the third prize of $75,000 was won by Greek playwright Panayiotis Mentis for his play "Xenoi (Foreigners)".

The 24-member Fourth Level committee assessing the entries have also proposed a further three entries for a Distinction Prize plus cash award, including: "Entelos Anaxioprepes (Totally Undignified)" by Greek writer Vassilis Katsikonouris; "Faust et les Radicaux Libres" written by Jacques Languirand from Canada; and "Willie B. came into the Sun" by Jean Sterrett from the USA.

The Foundation said that 537 plays from 74 countries had been submitted for the competition, of which 44 reached the Fourth Level Committee judges. These 44 were chosen by four different committees, one of which was made up of foreign theatre critics who judged the plays in their original language (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish).

The awards ceremony will take place in Athens on November 27, 2001.

[14] Irish 'No' a setback for candidate countries, foreign minister says

PAPHOS, 11/06/2001 (CNA/ANA)

Asked about the Cyprus peace effort, Kasoulides said no discussions have begun on unofficial UN documents as Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash continues to insist on his demands for recognition of the illegal entity in the areas of the island occupied by Turkey since 1974 before he returns to the negotiating table.

Invited to comment on how the Cyprus issue could be affected by the British premier's decision to replace Foreign Secretary Robin Cook with Jack Straw, after Thursday's general elections, Kasoulides restricted himself to saying he will now "have to get to know the new minister and establish the same good relations as I had with Mr. Cook."

On the Irish vote against the adoption of the Nice Treaty that was agreed last December by the EU leaders and prepares the Union to admit up to a dozen new members in the next few years, the foreign minister said "it is not an issue of concern only to Cyprus it is a setback for all candidate states for membership."

However, he recalled the first referendum in Denmark against the Maastricht Treaty, which became a "yes" vote the second time round and expressed the view this is likely to occur in Ireland.

Kasoulides left for a tour of European cities, during which he is to attend European Union meetings, pay an official visit and meet the Republic's ambassadors serving in EU member states.

In Brussels he will brief the Cypriot ambassadors based in EU countries on the latest developments in the accession negotiations with the EU, in which Cyprus is considered to lead the other 12 candidate states.

On Tuesday, Kasoulides will be in Luxembourg to attend the accession conference at a ministerial level.

The day after, he leaves for Finland for an official visit and talks with his Finnish counterpart Erkki Sakari Tuomioja.

On Thursday, the minister will go to Goteborg, Sweden, to meet up with the Cypriot delegation under President Glafcos Clerides, who will participate in a meeting of the "15" with the leaders of candidate countries. Kasoulides returns home on Sunday, 17 June.

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article