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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-12-23
CONTENTS
[01] IOBE report: 2009 budget goals difficult to achieve
[02] Interior Minister briefs PM
[03] Binding offers for OA by end Jan.
[01] IOBE report: 2009 budget goals difficult to achieve
The 2009 budget's provisions for revenues and spending are expremely
optimistic and are difficult to achieve without any additional
measues, the Institute for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE)
said on Tuesday.
IOBE, in its last report on the Greek economy for 2008, said it
would be very difficult, even impossible, to achieve the state
budget's goals for 2009 without taking additional measures or
changing an international economic environment to the better. IOBE
expects the general government deficit to surpass 3.0 pct of GDP in
2009, while it noted that the public debt -remaining steadily above
100 pct of GDP in the last few years- would be very difficult to
drop because of the prevailing credit squeeze conditions and despite
lower interest rates.
The Institute said the Greek economy would grow by 2.0 pct in 2009,
unemployment was stable around 2007 levels this year, and employment
was rising by 1.0 pct in 2008.
[02] Interior Minister briefs PM
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis met on Tuesday with Interior Minister
Prokopis Pavlopoulos at Maximos Mansion government house in Athens. In
statements afterwards, Pavlopoulos was queried over an early morning
shooting incident targeting an anti-riot police (MAT) squad bus, simply
mentioning that an investigation is underway. He added that an official
statement will follow, while as regards the consequences, he stated
that police officers in the bus during the incident remain on duty.
Pavlopoulos stated that he briefed the premier on the launch of the
operational plan on public administration, citing efforts to reduce
red-tape and bureaucracy as a means to ameliorate the effects of the
international economic crisis, particularly in terms of competitiveness
and improved operation. "This has already become obvious in the
restoration of recent (riot) damages," he added. Caption: Interior
Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos arrives on Tuesday 23 December 2008 at
the Maximos mansion in Athens. ANA-MPA /PANTELIS SAITAS
[03] Binding offers for OA by end Jan.
The Greek government expects binding offers by investors interested
in buying Olympic Airlines to be submitted by January 30, 2009, an
Inter-ministerial Privatisation Commission said on Tuesday.
The Commission meeting, chaired by Economy and Finance Minister
George Alogoskoufis, and comprised of Development Minister Christos
Folias, Employment and Social Protection Minister Fani
Palli-Petralia and Transport and Communications Minister Costis
Hatzidakis, approved the continuation of a privatisation procedure
of the country's national flag carrier.
A total of 17 investors are participating in three tenders to sell
Olympic Airlines, grounding handling services and aircraft
maintenance services.
The privatisation procedure is entering the final stage of binding
offers.
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