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Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-06-14Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Gov't OKs plan for bank sector pension reformThe inner Cabinet on Tuesday approved an eagerly anticipated plan to create a unified auxiliary pension fund for the entire banking sector with funding envisioned entirely from banks and current funds, a departure from an earlier proposal that would have included one-third funding by the state.The decision came amid an ongoing strike declared by the union of bank employees (OTOE) -- an industrial action that has mostly affected state-run institutions but had a limited impact on private-sector banks -- as the government sought to ensure that the plan complies with Community law and guidelines. In statements after the closely watched session, chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Alogoskoufis stressed that the labour and pension rights of bank employees hired after Jan. 1, 1993 will be similar to those of employees in the wider private sector. He again emphasised, within a period of 24 hours, that the newly created fund will be supported exclusively by the banks themselves. Finally, he said the new measures were moving along the lines of a law passed by the previous PASOK government, under which all bank main pension funds will gradually be shifted to the Social Security Foundation (IKA) by 2007 and the auxiliary funds to the unified auxiliary pension fund ETEAM. [02] Ruling New Democracy 4.1 points ahead of PASOK in MRB opinion pollRuling New Democracy was 4.1 points ahead of main opposition PASOK in voter preference, according to an opinion poll released on Tuesday by MRB.According to the poll results, the distribution of support among those questioned in the survey was 38.9 per cent for ND, 34.8 per cent for PASOK, 6.8 per cent for KKE, 3.6 per cent for the Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology and 2.9 per cent for the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS). Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was 9.6 points ahead of PASOK leader George Papandreou in a question of who was most suitable for prime minister, with 43.9 percent selecting Karamanlis and 34.3 per cent selecting Papandreou. The ruling party also powered ahead of PASOK with a whopping 38.1 point lead as the party most likely to win if elections were held right now, with 61 predicted an ND victory against 22.9 per cent for PASOK. [03] Greece's political leaders steered clear of stock exchange, report showsThe majority of Greece's political leaders steered clear of the Athens bourse or invested relatively minor sums, according to a report released on Tuesday based on an inspection of past statements of earnings and assets submitted by MPs from 1989-2001.President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias and former PASOK MP for Ioannina is shown to have earned a total of 189,089 drachmas through the sale of shares acquired before 1989. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou and Communist Party of Greece (KKE) General Secretary Aleka Papariga have neither invested nor gained money through stock exchange transactions. Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology leader Alekos Alavanos is a net loser, having invested 37.7 million drachmas in order to purchase shares from 1998-2001, during which time he gained 4.6 million drachmas through sales of stock, while his total shares in December 2002 were evaluated at 11.3 million drachmas, putting him some 21.7 million drachmas in the red. The statements submitted by former premier Costas Simitis, by contrast, report stock purchases of 74,163 drachmas by his wife Daphne in 1999 that were valued at 1,185,703 drachmas in December 2002. Former premier Constantine Mitsotakis invested a total of 3.2 million drachmas for the purchase of shares in 1999 and received four million drachmas from the sale of shares in 2001. No stock exchange transactions were reported in statements by Parliament President Anna Psarouda-Benaki, former premier Tzannis Tzannetakis and former Coalition party leader Nikos Constantopoulos. Former Parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis did not carry out any stock exchange transactions during the period under investigation but owned shares bought before 1989 that were valued at 2.8 million drachmas in December 2002. Prior to the transition to the new European currency, the value of drachmas was fixed at 340.75 to one euro. [04] Ano Liossia landfill the 'only solution' for Psytalleia sludge, environment minister tells local gov't headsIn a meeting with the local government officials representing Ano Liossia on Tuesday, Environment Minister George Souflias stressed that the landfill site within the municipality was the "only solution" for disposing of the sludge mound that has accumulated at the Psytalleia wastewater treatment plant.At the meeting were West Attica Prefect Aristidis Arkoudaris, Ano Liossia Mayor Nikos Papadimas and the president of the Unified Association of Municipalities and Communities in Attica George Mastorakos. Souflias stressed that the sludge could no longer remain at Psytallia without risking an ecological disaster, while noting that the proposed solution of turning the sludge into soil was one accepted and currently in use worldwide. After the meeting, the minister said that he had promised the Ano Liossia local authority heads to greatly speed up the construction of a drying plant in Psyttalia that will provide a permanent solution to the problem when ready in March 2007. He said that offers submitted under a tender will be opened on June 25. He also said that the process for the construction of three new landfill sites in Attica - in Fyli, Grammatiko and Keratea - was progressing rapidly, with tenders to be held in August or September and funds already secured. Finally, the minister promised that, should Ano Liossia residents find that they face problems because of the sludge interred at the landfill by Christmas, all transportation of further sludge to the landfill will stop at the end of the year. Souflias asked the local authority heads to give him an answer concerning his proposal within two or three days, while expressing hope that "reason will prevail". Asked what the government intends to do if they refuse, the minister said that the law would be enforced in that case, stressing that the government was determined to implement its programme. The Council of State, Greece's highest administrative court, ordered the dump to accept the sludge on May 31. Souflias noted that the transfer of up to 700 tonnes of the Psytallia sludge to the landfill had been allowed up until May 30, through a contract between the municapities' association and the water company EYDAP. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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