Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 16-06-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM to cabinet: We expect ECB waiver immediately after review is formally concluded

[02] FinMin presents amendments needed to conclude review in Parliament

[03] Main opposition MPs table question in Parliament, slamming gov't legislation on offshore firm ownership

[04] Parliament passes remaining prior actions with bill ratifying Egypt, Israel agreements

[05] Government tables amendment giving management of mortgage loans to funds

[06] Economy ministry tables draft bill on growth in parliament

[07] Refugee issue must be resolved jointly, President Pavlopoulos tells French PM Valls

[08] PM Tsipras and French counterpart meet over dinner

[09] ND leader Mitsotakis to meet with French MP Valls on Friday

[10] FinMin Tsakalotos to meet French counterpart on Friday morning

[11] French PM arrives in Athens for two-day visit

[12] Greece's absorption of EU funds significantly improved, EC Vice-President Dombrovskis says

[13] ND begins internal discussion on revising Constitution

[14] We will not vote for the new prior actions, says ND spokesman Koumoutsakos

[15] Minister says 493 civil servants have lost their jobs for fake credentials in the last four years

[16] Tourist properties of Greek tourism organisation transferred to new privatisation fund

[17] ECB lowers borrowing ceiling for Greek banks

[18] ECB postpones decision on waiver for accepting Greek bonds

[19] European companies show strong interest in ADMIE, Energy Min Skourletis says

[20] Greek shipping remains crucial for the economy, shipping minister says ahead of 'Posidonia' show

[21] American companies are 'intensely interested' in Greek shipping, says U.S. embassy official

[22] Kosmocar SA new official importer and dealer for Skoda cars in Greece

[23] Greek stocks end lower

[24] ADEX closing report

[25] More than 31,000 migrants have left Greece to return to their home countries since 2010

[26] Clashes at Moria hotspot on Lesvos; tens of refugees injured in clashes

[27] Syrian man loses asylum plea in appeals committee in Lesvos

[28] 52,318 identified migrants and refugees in Greece on Thursday

[29] National Opera to give free seats for 'Aida' dress rehearsal to 1,500 registered unemployed

[30] Metro system and tram staff announce warning strikes starting Jun. 6

[31] Mostly fair on Friday

[32] The Thursday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance Politics

[01] PM to cabinet: We expect ECB waiver immediately after review is formally concluded

"There will be time for us to celebrate only when we have reduced unemployment, entered a path of growth, and only when in the next two years we succeed in permanently exiting the memorandums and supervision," he said.

The government's central goal over the coming period was a fair distribution of the wealth generated, so as to benefit the majority of society, with protection for employment and wages. He urged the government ministers to be guided by three key priorities in their work, namely: social protection, a turn toward economic growth and a fair distribution of both the burdens and the benefits.

The prime minister referred to upcoming legislation planned by the government, such as a new developmental law, a draft bill on the social economy and public contracts, a new system for licensing and monitoring public works and laws to fight the contraband trade in tobacco and spirits. He also announced plans for a "voluntary disclosure" law giving offenders a last chance to reveal undeclared past income and to pay any taxes due to the state and said that reforms to the country's "television landscape" will be completed by the first 10 days of August.

Referring to the recent furore surrounding measures to limit ownership of offshore firms by politicians, Tsipras spoke of "a collective paroxysm" by the opposition attempting to "implicate" the government, whose limits were set by reality.

"The reality in this case was the content of the measures for the offshore firms, which once against highlighted the strategic dead end that New Democracy and its fellow travellers [had entered] in their effort to slander the government."

In the wake of all this upheaval, Tsipras added, it was not the government but the main opposition "that took to its heels and is still running, rushing to tie up their loose ends."

He concluded his opening remarks to the cabinet by noting that the nature of these action requires processes of broad consultation and consensus. The government was opening up a discussion with the political parties, organisations and the society of citizens on a new election law and revision of the Constitution, he added, while it will set up working groups with prestigious experts and scientists, asking them to present their proposals before the end of the summer.

[02] FinMin presents amendments needed to conclude review in Parliament

Tsakalotos described the measures contained in the amendments as "clarifying changes" needed to conclude the review so that a 7.5-billion-euro installment of loans to Greece can be disbursed. He also denied that they contained new and tougher measures.

"No one that voted in favour of the omnibus bill will have any reason to not vote for these amendments now," he said.

The amendments were attached to draft legislation for the ratification of bilateral agreements signed by Greece with Egypt and Israel that were debated by the plenum on Thursday.

Talking about the contingency fiscal mechanism, in particular, Tsakalotos noted that the amendments simply clarified specific cases, rather than making it harsher, stipulating that the government must reach agreement with the institutions if there is a deviation from fiscal targets due to "force majeur" or natural disasters, where the economic impact exceeds 0.5 pct of GDP.

[03] Main opposition MPs table question in Parliament, slamming gov't legislation on offshore firm ownership

The latest and much stricter version of the offshore ownership ban was rife with legal problems in terms of both the Constitutions and EU laws, according to the MPs, while they also accused the government of a "deafening silence" in response to earlier questions tabled in 2015 on investigating whether government members had shares in offshore firms.

[04] Parliament passes remaining prior actions with bill ratifying Egypt, Israel agreements

The international agreements were backed by all the political parties except the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), and Golden Dawn, which abstained during the vote regarding cooperation with Israel and voted against the article on SESAR.

The amendments for the prior actions were passed with the support of ruling coalition (SYRIZA-ANEL) MPs only. They include measures for the contingency fiscal mechanism, the EKAS low pension benefit, loans on primary residences and state-guaranteed non-performing loans, ADMIE, the special wage scales and others.

The Democratic Coalition walked out of the vote on the bill as a whole, while KKE had departed earlier, before the debate was concluded, in order to not "legitimise the amendment allowing banks to sell management of loans for primary residences up to 140,000 euros to distress funds."

[05] Government tables amendment giving management of mortgage loans to funds

The law still halts the sale and transfer of these loans until 31.12.2017.

The amendment drew the ire of the opposition parties, with New Democracy's parliamentary spokesman Yiannis Vroutsis accusing the government of "deleting all red lines" and renaming the "vultures" as "doves".

[06] Economy ministry tables draft bill on growth in parliament

[07] Refugee issue must be resolved jointly, President Pavlopoulos tells French PM Valls

Welcoming the French leader, Pavlopoulos said Greece does not forget France's crucial contribution in keeping the country in the EU and the Eurozone. "Greece will continue with great sacrifices to remain at the core of Europe," Pavlopoulos said, adding that the rule of law must not be affected.

Commenting on the refugee crisis, Pavlopoulos said the two countries must tackle the issue jointly and noted Turkey's responsibility in implementing its side of the EU-Turkey deal. He also said that Frontex must now be converted to a European coast guard. Most importantly, the war in Syria must stop and the EU should tackle terrorism, whose effects France suffered dearly, Pavlopoulos said.

On his side, Valls said the aim of his meeting is to strengthen relations between the two countries, following the visit of French President Francois Hollande a few months ago. He commented on France's support in keeping Greece in the Eurozone and added that his country will continue to do so in order to reach a viable solution.

He said Greece is the first entry point of refugees and that Greece should count on France's and EU's help on the issue. The priority for everyone in the EU is the security of the borders and noted that the war in Syria must end. Valls also spoke about the potential for economic cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking to ANA-MPA after the meeting with Pavlopoulos, Valls said: "I came to Athens shortly after the visit of the French President Francois Hollande and this shows that France wants to further strengthen its friendship and cooperation with the Greek people. France supported and strongly supports Greece's stay in the euro. We continue and will continue to support Greece in its efforts to exit the crisis."

[08] PM Tsipras and French counterpart meet over dinner

Welcoming the French leader, Tsipras said Greece has been through a "long winter" and now "it is time to see the light", with investments and bright ideas needed to move the economy forward. "We overcame two major crises - the refugee and the economic," he said.

He also commented on this year's summer season which is expected to attract 27 million visitors to Greece, among which many French citizens. Tsipras then joked he would like to see French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, who was attending the dinner, visiting the country as a tourist.

Earlier, Valls and his delegation toured around the Acropolis Museum with its director, Dimitris Pandermalis.

On the Greek side, the dinner is attended by Parliament President Nikos Voutsis, Economy Minister Giorgos Stathakis, Alternate Minister for European Affairs Nikos Xydakis, Culture Minister Aristidis Baltas, senior diplomats and associates of the prime minister.

On Friday, the French leader will meet privately with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at 11:00-11:30, and then a wider meeting including the delegations will follow. At 15:00, the two sides will sign a road map outlining the strategic cooperation between Greece and France and then the two leaders will make joint statements to the press.

[09] ND leader Mitsotakis to meet with French MP Valls on Friday

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin will also be present at the meeting.

[10] FinMin Tsakalotos to meet French counterpart on Friday morning

Sapin is accompanying Prime Minister Manuel Valls who is on an official two-day visit to Athens.

[11] French PM arrives in Athens for two-day visit

Valls started his visit by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

On Friday, the French leader will meet privately with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at 11.00, and then a wider meeting including the delegations will follow. Valls and Tsipras will then make joint statements to the press.

"The visit, which takes place only a few days after the European Union decided to provide further financial assistance to Greece will be an opportunity to express France's support to Greek reforms and the consolidation of Greece's position in the eurozone," according to a statement of the French embassy in Athens.

The discussions will be an "opportunity to draw new perspectives on the bilateral relations between France and Greece", while the two prime ministers will sign a "roadmap" on the strategic partnership between the two states.

[12] Greece's absorption of EU funds significantly improved, EC Vice-President Dombrovskis says

"It is true that absorption of European funds in Greece's case, with the assistance of the Task Force, has improved significantly. The technical assistance is also directed to current issues, such as improving tax collection mechanisms and public administration, while there is also help with the refugee issue," he said.

Asked to clarify whether this was "technical assistance" or "political guidance," Dombrovskis said the former, while noting that there was "some form of political contribution" in very complex technical details, as was the case in Greece.

According to official figures, Greece ranked first among the 28 EU member-states for the absorption of EU funds in the 2007-2013 period, with 100 pct absorption of National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) funds at the end of that period.

For the 2014-2020 period, a quarter (25 pct) of the total available funds amounting to 4.5 billion euros have been activated in Greece.

[13] ND begins internal discussion on revising Constitution

Among the proposed changes are to measures reducing the leeway for disbanding the Parliament early on various pretexts, including inability to elect a president, and extending Parliament's term to five years. It also calls for greatly restricting the protection from prosecution offered MPs and ministers and abolition of article 86 on ministerial responsibility.

Among the proposals is the abolition of the state's "monopoly" on higher education to allow private universities, simplifying the process for revising the Constitution and the abolition of "unnecessary and bureaucratic articles" in the Constitution.

[14] We will not vote for the new prior actions, says ND spokesman Koumoutsakos

He added that thousands of employees and pensioners will see reductions in their salaries and pensions.

ND will not vote for the prior actions that the government will bring to parliament because they have not fulfilled their promise that the Greek programme review will be completed with the voting of the draft laws.

"We have a government that constantly annuls itself; a cynical government without limits that in order to remain in power for a little longer, they brought a memorandum in the memorandum," concluded Koumoutsakos.

[15] Minister says 493 civil servants have lost their jobs for fake credentials in the last four years

Replying to PASOK MP Evi Christofilopoulou, the minister denied her claim that "thousands" had been appointed to the public sector with fake degrees.

He presented figures showing that 46 civil servants were dismissed for this reason in 2013, a further 243 in 2014, 156 in 2015 and 48 had their appointments revoked in the first four months of 2016.

A ministry announcement noted that the personnel files of civil servants are constantly updated, including through checks to ensure the authenticity of degrees, certificates and other credentials supplied by a Public Administration Inspectors Corp.

[16] Tourist properties of Greek tourism organisation transferred to new privatisation fund

Financial News

[17] ECB lowers borrowing ceiling for Greek banks

The Greek central bank, said that the new reduction of the borrowing ceiling reflected improving liquidity conditions in Greek banks as uncertainty eased and private sector deposit flows stabilised.

[18] ECB postpones decision on waiver for accepting Greek bonds

Draghi noted the significant progress made in implementing the Greek programme, as reflected in the Eurogroup decision on May 24, but also that the process of implementing prior actions was continuing.

The ECB president said that the ECB will accept Greek bonds as soon as Athens has concluded the process of adopting the prior actions, with a decision to be taken at a future meeting of the ECB's board.

Greece is seeking a 'waiver' allowing the ECB to accept Greek government debt as collateral for central bank cash even if it does not have an investment-grade credit rating.

The Greek government on Thursday tabled a series of amendments in Parliament that it says will tie up all the loose ends noted by the institutions on May 24, allowing the disbursement of the first sub-tranche of loans amounting to 7.5 billion euros.

If the ECB decides on a waiver and accepts Greek bonds, the country's banks will be able to borrow from the ECB at cheaper rates rather than relying exclusively on expensive borrowing from the Emergency Liquidity Assistance, where the average interest rate charged is estimated to be around 100 to 150 basis points above the ECB's benchmark interest rate.

[19] European companies show strong interest in ADMIE, Energy Min Skourletis says

Speaking to reporters, on the sidelines of an Hellenic Petroleum general shareholders' meeting, Skourletis said it was highly unlikely not to implement a solution for ADMIE agreed with the country's creditors, which envisages the transfer of a 51 pct of shares from Public Power Corporation to the state and selling the remaining 49 pct to a strategic investor and individual shareholders. The Greek minister also said he expected a successful completion of an agreement to sell 66 pct of DESFA (Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator) to Socar and stressed that strategic investments in energy operators were significant not only financially but also geopolitically.

Skourletis reiterated that the government did not intend to make any further privatizations in the energy sector.

[20] Greek shipping remains crucial for the economy, shipping minister says ahead of 'Posidonia' show

The opening of the exhibition will be held on June 6 at the Athens Metropolitan Expo, with the participation of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

"The goal of the shipping ministry at the international "Posidonia" exhibition has a special direction, which is to strengthen the competitiveness of the Greek shipping industry through the use of its quality human resources it enjoys as a comparative advantage," Dritsas said.

He added that the core of this policy is the qualitative improvement and training of Greek seamen, attracting more ships in the Greek shipping register, as well as more shipping companies in Greece.

"We want to implement over time a plan that aims to develop maritime activities and expertise in Greece and the EU," he said and added that ministry officials will have meetings with representatives of foreign delegations of maritime states during the exhibition, with bilateral exchanges of views and deeper cooperation.

[21] American companies are 'intensely interested' in Greek shipping, says U.S. embassy official

"The participation of the United States in this years' Posidonia proves the intense interest of U.S. companies for Greek shipping; an interest that will continue to increase as Greece implements the difficult but necessary measures which will contribute in the improvement of the business climate and the attracting of investments," Larson said.

He added that 19 American companies are participating in this year's event and invited everyone to visit them.

During the show, that opens on June 6 at the Athens Metropolitan Expo and ends on June 10, the Greek-American Chamber of Commerce and the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) are organizing a seminar on the requirements and standards that ships need to respect to visit US ports.

The regulations, compliance strategies, and the cost of non-compliance, will be presented at the seminar by relevant US agencies and the global shipping community, including the US Coast Guard (USCG), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), NAMEPA and representatives of the international shipping and ship owning community.

The seminar, titled "Trading in U.S. Waters: Ensuring a Culture of Environmental Compliance", will be held on June 9, at 10:30-14:30 (local). Apart from the aforementioned organizers, the seminar is also supported by the trade division of the U.S. embassy in Athens and the International Propeller Club of the United States and the International Port of Piraeus.

[22] Kosmocar SA new official importer and dealer for Skoda cars in Greece

"In cooperation with Kosmocar SA we will boost our sales and our services in the Greek market,", Werner Eihorn, member of the board in Skoda for sales and marketing said, adding: "Kosmocar SA is a very reliable and experienced company and therefore the best possible partner".

Skoda is one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world. It was founded in 1895 in Mlada Boleslav and its product range include: Citigo, Fabia, Rapid, Octavia, Yeti and Superb. Its sales worldwide surpassed 1.0 million in 2015. It is part of Volkswagen Group since 1991.

[23] Greek stocks end lower

Motor Oil (1.28 pct), PPC (1.21 pct) and Aegean Airlines (0.93 pct) were top gainers among blue chip stocks, while National Bank (4.23 pct), Piraeus Bank (3.70 pct) and Viohalco (2.68 pct) suffered heavy losses.

Among market sectors, Utilities (0.76 pct) was the only one to end higher, while Banks (3.07 pct), Raw Materials (2.26 pct) and Personal Products (1.56 pct) suffered losses. National Bank and Piraeus Bank were the most heavily traded securities of the day.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 65 to 39 with another 19 issues unchanged. Motodynamic (29.26 pct), Lazaridis Estate (20.85 pct) and Dionic (19.51 pct) scored big gains, while Dromeas (18.52 pct), Lavipharma (10.92 pct) and Nakas (9.73 pct) were top losers.

[24] ADEX closing report

General News

[25] More than 31,000 migrants have left Greece to return to their home countries since 2010

More specifically, 337 people returned to their home countries in 2010, 760 people in 2011, 7,289 people in 2012, 9,343 people in 2013, 7,350 people in 2014, 3,794 people in 2015, and 2,392 people in the first five months of 2016 (until May 20). Migrants who have chosen to return to their countries are mainly from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Morocco and Georgia.

The programme was renewed last week.

The agreement lasts for three years and aims to support the voluntary return processes and the provision of measures for the reintegration of migrants in their home countries. It provides for the voluntary return of 5,400 citizens of third countries and the reintegration measures for 1,350 of them annually. The total number of beneficiaries is estimated at 20,000 people.

The renewed agreement provides for 500 euro subsidies per person for their first needs after their return to their country, up 100 euros compared with the previous agreement. It also provides for assistance aiming at their reintegration in their home country.

The budget of the programme is estimated at 11 million euros every year and is funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Interior and Administrative Reconstruction Ministry (75 pct of European resources; 25 pct of national resources).

[26] Clashes at Moria hotspot on Lesvos; tens of refugees injured in clashes

The reason of the clashes has not been made known yet. However, according to reports, Pakistani migrants accused the Afghans of using 'mafia practices' to control the hotspot, while the Afghans accused the Pakistanis of theft and sexual harassment.

A fire also broke out and authorities evacuated the area but it was soon set under control. Hundreds of people, mostly Arab refugees with their families, left the hotspots, in fear of their safety.

The police complained that the small number of officers in the area cannot handle the large number of refugees. Local residents have also expressed serious concerns that the situation is out of control.

[27] Syrian man loses asylum plea in appeals committee in Lesvos

The decision for the 46-year-old refugee who arrived in Lesvos after the EU-Turkey deal was signed is, according to information so far, the first negative decision on a second degree that has been issued.

The committee rejected as unreliable the applicant's claims that he is gay and was threatened by two ISIS members in Turkey. It also said that since the applicant had previously chosen Istanbul as a place of residence - considering he divided his time between Turkey and Nigeria due to work - there is a sufficient connection with the country. Taking the above evidence under consideration, the committee decided there's no real fear for his life, health and integrity in Turkey.

The man's lawyers have already submitted a request for interim measures before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, to suspend his deportation.

[28] 52,318 identified migrants and refugees in Greece on Thursday

According to the Refugee Crisis Management Coordination Body's figures, 26,840 of the refugees are in northern Greece, 14,510 are hosted in the region of Attica, 8,417 on the Greek islands and 2,551 are hosted in different areas in central and southern Greece.

[29] National Opera to give free seats for 'Aida' dress rehearsal to 1,500 registered unemployed

The free tickets to the dress rehearsal, which starts at 21:00 on June 9, will be given on display of the unemployment card and an ID card at the Olympia theatre box office (Akadimias Street 59-61. Tel: 210 3662100) on Tuesday from 14:00 to 21:00 and on Wednesday from 10:00 to 21:00.

[30] Metro system and tram staff announce warning strikes starting Jun. 6

Urban Rail Transport (STASY) staff have announced work stoppages on the following days and times:

Monday, June 6 from the start of the shift until 10:00

Wednesday, June 8 from 12:00 to 16:00

Friday, June 10 from 22:00 to the end of the shift

Monday, June 13 from the start of the shift until 10:00

Wednesday, June 15 from 21:00 until the end of the shift

Friday, June 17 from 12:00 to 17:00

Weather forecast

[31] Mostly fair on Friday

[32] The Thursday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance

DIMOKRATIA: 'Cheap' tax revenue collectors with a lot of audacity

EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Disorderly withdrawal

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: Cuts in public sector dividends

ETHNOS: Surprises over university entry thresholds

KATHIMERINI: (French PM) Valls: Support to investments and debt issue

IMERISSIA: The imminent list of debtors

NAFTEMPORIKI: Greece is laggard in the Juncker package

RIZOSPASTIS: Additional "burning" measures

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