Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-08-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis unveils blueprint for crucial social security reform

[02] KKE leader tours sports secretariat

[03] Alavanos begins tour of Epirus region

[01] Karamanlis unveils blueprint for crucial social security reform

In prefacing his proposals, Karamanlis ruled out three of the more painful measures feared by pensioners and unions, namely, an increase in retirement ages and contributions, or a decrease in pension levels.

Conversely, the prime minister said continuing growth in the country, in tandem with savings from trimming a "wasteful and ineffective" state, will generate enough resources to adequately fund the social security system in the long term.

In terms of proposals, Karamanlis unveiled no less than 11, including a radical restructuring of the numerous primary and supplementary pension funds in the country of 11 million, as well as mergers of funds, both in terms of sectors and between primary and supplementary funds. The latter, he said, will come only after dialogue with social partners, unions, the opposition etc.

Additionally, he cited better management of funds' assets; stepped up efforts to curb social security contribution evasion; tighter financial controls in the healthcare system; incentives for individuals to remain in the work force even after reaching retirement ages; stricter controls over procedures granting disability pensions; reform and restructuring of the "hazardous and heavy" occupations regime, as well as a high-profile proposal of matching the European Union average in wages and pensions within five to seven years.

In pointing to his government's accomplishments over the past three and a half years, Karamanlis reiterated that an increase in the low pension bonus (EKAS) to 230 euros and the base farmer's pension to 330 euros, by the end of 2008, has already been finalised via legislative acts.

"Citizens demand reforms; they demand that we move faster, more decisively; they demand a reinforced mandate for reforms via a strong popular mandate," he told members of ruling New Democracy's central committee.

Finally, Karamanlis reminded that education reforms will also take centre stage in his next government, including constitutional revision.

Caption: Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis (C) flashes the victory sign after his address to ruling New Democracy party's central committee members on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007. ANA-MPA / A. BELTES.

[02] KKE leader tours sports secretariat

"Don't let them scare you. They (the two main parties) want the highest degree of two-party rule as possible; comfortable government majorities in order to have the freedom and ease to squash, literally, the working class' rights, or what is left of them," Papariga said.

In touching on the state organisation's specific objective, she said that the communist party was against the "commercialisation" of sports and against the professional sports model, whereas it favors a "sports for the masses" approach and not a results-based system, i.e. championships, all-out competition etc.

Along those lines, she said that this the reason her party voted against a recent bill writing-off debts of pro football clubs.

"Let businessmen get out of the way so the people can subsidise sports for the masses," she proposed.

[03] Alavanos begins tour of Epirus region

Speaking in the town of Arta, NW Greece, on Thursday afternoon, Alavanos - who heads up the "radical left coalition (Syriza) formation for the coming Sept. 16 election - called for the government to immediately disclose a report on the country's social security system.

He also referred to billions of euros, as he said, that pension funds lose every year due to evasion and debts by the state and private employers to the funds.

Speaking earlier from the Ioannina airport, Alavanos again charged that the Karamanlis government was responsible for allowing the looting of pension funds, while saying a previous PASOK government did the same thing.

He will speak from a central square in Ioannina later in the day before touring nearby Preveza and Lefkada.

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