Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-07-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] Simplification of procedures and transparency

[02] Papandreou: Green growth for the future

[03] Tsipras addresses SYRIZA nationwide meeting

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Simplification of procedures and transparency

The bill aims at simplifying the entire process from the 17-18 steps currently required to just 3-4 steps.

"The goal is to make life easier for new entrepreneurs, and especially for the small and medium size enterprises (SMEs)," Hatzidakis told reporters after the meeting.

He also announced that the government to further advance transparency in public sector procurements through a more modern, more transparent and more European system that will take advantage of the possibilities offered by the internet.

"Transparency is high in the government's priorities," the minister stressed, noting that the aim is to make public all the procurements and tenders via the internet.

[02] Papandreou: Green growth for the future

On the domestic situation, Papandreou accused the government of downgrading a well-government state, resulting in the citizen being bombarded daily with revelations of corruption cases.

The government, he said, serves only the special interests of the few and powerful, rather than the public interest.

He expressed optimism that this situation would be reversed in the general elections, which he anticipated would be soon in coming, and the state would serve only the public interest, exclusively.

On green development, Papandreou said that it ensures five targets.

The first is social solidarity, cohesion and social justice and a society without inequalities.

The second is a new relationship between man and nature, the environment and culture.

The third target is exploitation of the new technologies through investment in the human being.

The fourt is ridding democracy from the concentrational and clientelle state.

The fifth target is to render Greece a country of open horizons, and a pioneer in green growth.

[03] Tsipras addresses SYRIZA nationwide meeting

Tsipras said that on the night of the European Parliament elections, the entire political system in Greece was "dancing to the tune" Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) party leader George Karatzaferis", adding that the government hastened to turn into practice the 'zero tolerance' (to illegal migration) called for by main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou.

The SYN leader further said that, regarding the migration issue, PASOK was facilely following the government's policy line "of a cheap show of strength against the weak, aimed at regaining the lost votes", with PASOK's motive being to fish votes from "the murky waters of the ultra-right populism".

Also, the planned creation of a DNA bank on criminals, the use of traffic surveillance cameras for crime investigation and abolition of the confidentiality of communications would benefit the government multiply, with the procurements for the infrastructure of the above, on the one hand, and on the other with the ability to "implicate anyone they want to in things that he hasn't done".

Tsipras said that an attempt was being made to create a regime of terror on the one hand, and on the other to introduce changes to the job market, social security and the administration of the state wealth under the guise of necessary reforms against the crisis.

The Left, he continued, must put forward a clear stance, self-confidence and clear-cut arguments, intiatives and actions against all those, adding that he would not contribute to the escalation of a senseless and apolitical clash.

The two-day session ends on Sunday with an address by SYRIZA parliamentary group leader Alekos Alavanos and adoption of the conference conclusions.

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Political developments and the economy were the main front-page items in Athens' dailies on Saturday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "No threat to pensions - Categorical statement by government spokesman after the speculations on the social security Funds' finances".

APOGEVMATINI: "Recession playing hide-and-seek with our lives - Analysts anticipate new 'plunge'."

AVGHI: "United Left - Two-day discussion on SYRIZA's (Coalition of the Radical Left parliamentary alliance) future at the Peace and Friendship Stadium".

AVRIANI: "Everything changing in public sector procurements in order to put an end to the rigged tenders that cause immense financial bleeding to the state budget".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Tough measures, post-electoral payment".

ESTIA: "The 'social-mania' syndrome condemns the economy to recession".

ETHNOS: "Friendly fire against government".

KATHIMERINI: "Turkey's 'games' with the oil - It announced exploration in the Aegean, also inside the Greek continental shelf".

LOGOS: "Pressure on the bankers...from the government for reduction of interest rates".

NIKI: "What is changing for women in the social security sector".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Abolition of road tolls, now".

TA NEA: "Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) with uniform and 'express' fines".

TO VIMA: "The government operating with 'skeleton staff' - Only Pavlopoulos (interior minister), Dendias (justice minister) and Papathanassiou (economy and finance minister) are left in Athens".

VRADYNI: "90,000 contract employees in wider public sector just a step away from getting tenure - We are just a small way away from China in number of civil servants".

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