Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-09-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] Prime Minister in Thessaloniki

[02] FinMin on memorandum's implementation

[03] PPC union contests wage cuts

[04] Heavy penalties for tax evasion

[05] Controls on prices

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Prime Minister in Thessaloniki

The new cabinet, as it was shaped after Tuesday's reshuffle, will convene for the first time on Friday. The meeting will be held at Thessaloniki's Port Authority at noon.

Papandreou's programme will continue on Saturday with his participation in the inauguration ceremony at the TIF's administration building, in the morning and the meetings he will be having immediately afterwards with the boards and employee representatives of the TIF S.A. and HELEXPO companies.

The prime minister will then visit the TIF's exhibition premises and in the evening he will be making an address at the "I. Vellidis" convention centre.

Papandreou's presence in Thessaloniki, in the framework of this year's TIF, will be completed with the press conference at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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[02] FinMin on memorandum's implementation

The minister reminds his colleagues of their obligations towards the memorandum and calls on them to filfill them regarding the control of expenditures, as well as the promotion of structural changes in their sectors of responsibility.

In parallel, in other letters to all the members of the government, Papaconstantinou calls on them to submit their proposals on the 2011 budget by September 20, since the new budget's draft plan will be tabled in Parliament on October 4.

Moreover, the troika's delegation will be coming to Athens again on September 13 to offer assistance for the preparation of the budget.

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[03] PPC union contests wage cuts

In an appeal to the Council of State (CoS), the country's highest administrative court, the GENOP-DEH union demands that the memorandum be declared invalid, terming it as unconstitutional. A lawsuit was also filed against the state for what the union claims are illegitimate wage cuts and abolition of the so-called 13th and 14th salaries.

In addition, the union said it will take its case to the International Labour Organization (ILO), alleging "infringement and blatant violation of the collective work contracts."

In an unrelated development, large enterprises that are PPC customers will soon have the opportunity to select money-saving alternative electricity rates through the new "Artemis" system, to be presented at the PPC's pavilion at Thessaloniki's International Trade Fair (TIF) on Sept. 11-21.

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[04] Heavy penalties for tax evasion

Thus, the above categories of businesses and tax payers will be audited for money laundering, and if such arises, the confidentiality of their bank accounts, tax history and stockmarket transactions will be lifted and the transgressing parties will face imprisonment of up to 10 years.

The circular lists the specific violations of legislation that will lead to inspections by the Committee for Combating the Legalisation of Revenues from Criminal Activities (money-laundering watchdog), which include failure to issue or the issue of inaccurate tax documentation (receipts, invoices, etc.), non-payment of overdue debts to the state that exceed 120,000 euros, non-submission of or submission of inaccurate income tax statement for undeclared incomes of which the corresponding tax exceeds 15,000 euros, non-payment or inaccurate payment of VAT and other withheld taxes that exceed 3,000 euros annually, the issue or acceptance of fake invoices regardless of value, and illicit trade and contraband.

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[05] Controls on prices

The goal, he added, is both reduction of prices and dialogue with the market. "We are determined to protect the citizens' income and launch a battle against excessive profit, profiteering and inflation. Through dialogue with the market, we will implement the legislation for the smooth operation of competition," the minister said.

He said that ten years earlier the ministry had succeeded in reducing inflation, and the same was being aspired to today in the present conditions of crisis and reduction of the workers' incomes.

"It is not only the working peoples' incomes and pensions that will be reduced, but also prices in order to achieve greater social justice and avert poverty among citizens," he added.

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[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The Interior Ministry's new role as a "directorate" that will have the responsibility of the government's political planning and Prime Minister George Papandreou's decision not to include government vice president Theodoros Pangalos in the team, the first meeting of the new Cabinet on Friday in Thessaloniki ahead of the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) inauguration and Greek Statistical Authority report of a further decrease of GDP in the second quarter of 2010, the government's decisions on tax evasion, the changes and transfers in prefectures and municipalities arising from the "Kallikratis" local administration reform plan, mostly dominated the headlines on Thursday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Theodoros Pangalos put on the sidelines".

APOGEVMATINI: "Greece sinks deeper in recession".

AVGHI: "Synaspismos supports candidacy of lawyer Alexis Mitropoulos, who specialises in labor issues, for Attica region in local government elections".

AVRIANI: "Former PASOK government prime minister Costas Simitis' secret loans send us full speed ahead to bankruptcy".

CHORA: "He (Papandreou) left out Pangalos and named Ragoussis as coordinator of the government's policy".

ELEFTHEROS: "Shocking statement by the head of Eurostat Walter Radermacher - Papandreou is hiding the truth from us about the deficits and the debt".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Papandreou kicked out Pangalos from the new leadership group".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Bureaucracy keeps 15 billion euros intended to support enterprises' liquidity 'blocked' on the Finance Ministry's shelves".

ETHNOS: "Final countdown for 3,000 transfers of employees working in prefectures".

IMERISSIA: "Domino of reversals in the banking map".

KATHIMERINI: "Papandreou establishes a directorate'.

LOGOS: "Greek economy deep in recession".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou's recommendation to new and old ministers to follow the Memorandum to the letter".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Joint action for development that will satisfy the popular needs the only road".

TA NEA: "Finance Ministry considers new incentives to support the ailing car market".

TO VIMA: "Tax evasion will be considered organised crime".

VRADYNI: "Seeking...Growth".

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