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Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-10-15

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

  • [01] PM: 'We are not yet out of the tunnel'
  • [02] PM: Acropolis blockade politically incited
  • [03] Greek trade deficit down to 14.4 bln euros in Aug, Eurostat
  • [04] Restaurants to defy smoking ban
  • [05] T-bills auction Tuesday

  • [01] PM: 'We are not yet out of the tunnel'

    Prime Minister George Papandreou stressed on Friday that "the fight is still on for both the country's salvation and change," adding that "we are getting positive messages but we are not out of the tunnel yet."

    Speaking in a meeting between the government, PASOK MPs and party officials in Parliament, the prime minister underlined that "we are on a better course" and that PASOK had saved the country from the destruction to which it was led by the preceding government of New Democracy (ND). The meeting was attended by government vice-president Theodoros Pangalos, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou, ruling PASOK MPs and party cadres.

    More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

    [02] PM: Acropolis blockade politically incited

    Prime minister George Papandreou on Friday charged that the blockade of the Acropolis by a group protesting culture and tourism ministry contract workers was "political party-incited", warning that such actions serve only those who are banking on Greece's defeat.

    Replying to current questions in parliament on Friday, Papandreou referred to the closure of the Acropolis at the beginning of a discussion on a current question by Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga on unemployment.

    He said that every citizen's right to freedom of expression is sacred, but so was the right to the country's wealth "which belongs to no individual, group or political party".

    "No one has the right to put a padlock on, to take hostage, the country's monuments and to appropriate a global heritage such as the Acropolis," Papandreou said.

    He said that it is only rational and legitimate that there are reactions in these difficult times. "I am the first to indignant over where the situation the country is in. But we must not do us harm ourselves with extreme actions that hurt the country and give leverage to those banking on Greece's defeat. No party has the right to incite and approve of such actions," the premier stressed.

    Papariga countered that the country's tourism is not shamed by a hundred protesting contract workers, but by the riot police (MAT).

    "The only problem on the Acropolis is that the padlocks have been changed. But the big problem is Mr. Papoutsis' (Citizens' Protection minister) riot police," she said.

    Papandreou, in turn, called on Papariga to contribute to the changes being advanced for the country's reform, rather than backing those who want to put a padlock on the Acropolis and shame the country around the world.

    The premier further accused main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras of being responsible for the situation with the culture ministry's contract employees which, he said, had its roots back to Samaras' tenure as culture minister during the ND government.

    ND party spokesman Panos Panagiotopoulos, in a statement later, replied that the completion and opening of the New Acropolis Museum -- "a project of global stature" -- bore Samaras' signature, and that the issue of the contract employees had been settled by Samaras with an amendment "the extension of which the same contract employees are seeking today".

    "On the one hand, then, we have the Acropolis Museum with Samaras' seal and on the other the chaotic situation with the MAT and the teargas on the Acropolis with the seal of Papandreou, who is humiliating the country internationally," Panagiotopoulos said, adding that the people have already drawn their conclusions.

    More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

    [03] Greek trade deficit down to 14.4 bln euros in Aug, Eurostat

    BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA/V.Demiris) - The Greek trade deficit fell by 2.9 billion euros to 14.4 billion euros in August, compared with the same month last year, Eurostat said on Friday. The EU executive's statistics agency, in a report, said Greek exports totaled 8.7 billion euros, while imports totaled 23.1 billion euros, up 2.0 pct and down 10 pct, compared with last year's figures, respectively.

    Germany recorded the biggest trade surplus in the EU-27 (87.7 billion euros), followed by Ireland (24.7 billion) and Holland (22.1 billion), while the UK (63.6 billion euros), France (33.6 billion), Spain (30.2 billion) and Greece (14.4 billion) recorded the highest trade deficits.

    Eurozone's trade deficit with the rest of the world totaled 4.3 billion euros in August, while the EU-27 recorded a trade deficit of 17.3 billion euros.

    More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

    [04] Restaurants to defy smoking ban

    Restaurant owners faced by plunging turnover and profits intend to defy the newly imposed smoking ban and supply their clients with ashtrays as of Sunday, their federation announced on Friday.

    "We are radically opposed to the time period in which the anti-smoking law is coming to be enforced. In a period when [the drop in] turnover in venues has reached or exceeded 50 percent, no one can oblige you to enforce an anti-smoking law that based on the figures that we have from the European Union leads to a 25 percent reduction in turnover. If to the 50 percent we add 25 percent then we are finished," said the president of the Restauranteurs and Related Professions Federation Yiannis Tsakos in statements to the private ANT1 radio station.

    "We are going to put out ashtrays on all the tables. We know they can shut us down but we will shut down in any case so we want to hand over the keys and let them pay the rent, the electricity, VAT, local authorities, everything. Let's see what they will do with the 400,000 people working in the dining sector. On Monday we will be here and waiting for them to come for the keys," he added.

    More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

    [05] T-bills auction Tuesday

    ANA-MPA - Greece will auction a three-month Treasury bills issue next Tuesday, 19 October, seeking to raise 900 million euros from the market. The issue will be auctioned to the marketās primary dealers and settlement date was set Friday, 22 October, the Finance ministry said on Friday.

    The Finance ministry said the T-bill issue will be offered to private investors as well.

    Greece successfully auctioned a six-month Treasury bill issue on Tuesday raising around 1.5 billion euros at a reduced interest rate.

    More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form


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