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Saturday, 21 December 2024
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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 13-01-17Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] IMF chief: Greece has made progressAMNA--Greece has made progress, and its programme is moving in the right direction with strong fiscal adjustment and notable labor-cost competitiveness gains, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director and Executive Board Chair said early Thursday (Greek time) after the IMF Executive Board's decision Wednesday to approve the disbursement of a loan tranche of 3.24 billion euros, in its participation in the January installment of an EU/IF bailout package to the country.The IMF announced on Wednesday that it had " completed the first and second reviews of Greece's economic performance under a program supported by a four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement for Greece," stressing that "completion of a Greek program review allows the disbursement of a loan tranche worth 3.24 billion euros (4.3 billion US dollars), raising the Fund's participation to a Greek rescue program to 4.197 billion units of special withdraw rights (around 4.86 billion euros or 6.46 billion US dollars)".amna "The tranche is part of a joint funding package to Greece agreed with Eurozone member-states, worth 172 billion euros, expanding over a four-year period," an IMF press released explained. [02] IMF approves 3.24-bln-euro loan disbursement to GreeceAMNA--The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday approved the disbursement of a 3.24 billion euros aid tranche to Greece."The International Monetary Fund today (Wednesday) completed the first and second reviews of Greece's economic performance under a program supported by a four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement for Greece," the fund said in a statement. The IMF stressed that completion of a Greek program review allows the disbursement of a loan tranche worth 3.24 billion euros (4.3 billion US dollars), raising the Fund's participation to a Greek rescue program to 4.197 billion units of special withdraw rights (around 4.86 billion euros or 6.46 billion US dollars).amna The tranche is part of a joint funding package to Greece agreed with Eurozone member-states, worth 172 billion euros, expanding over a four-year period. [03] MPs to decide on procedure of vote on 'Lagarde list' caseAMNA---Final decisions on how to organise a vote on a Parliamentary preliminary investigation committee for the 'Lagarde list' case has been left up to MPs themselves, after the political parties failed to agree on Wednesday.On Thursday, Parliament will be called to decide whether the politicians that handled the 'Lagarde list' should face a criminal investigation over their failure to make use of the information this contained in order to uncover possible tax evasion or illegal income, and also in connection with the three names removed from the list that were family members of former finance minister George Papaconstantinou.amna The ruling coalition has proposed that there be a preliminary investigation only for Papaconstantinou, main opposition 'Coalition of the Radical Left' (SYRIZA) wants an investigation of both Papaconstantinou and his successor at the finance ministry, current PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos, while the Independent Greeks party has proposed that the investigation also include former premiers George Papandreou and Lucas Papademos. [04] Hospital and private practice doctors, dentists on strikeAMNA--Doctors and dentists in state hospitals and private practice have decided to join forces and hold a 24-hour strike on Thursday, in protest against the deterioration of the health system and healthcare services.The strike was called by the Panhellenic Medical Association (PIS) and the Greek Dentistry Federation and will include hospital doctors. The unions demand that doctors' salaries are not "wiped out", that their prestige and dignity be protected and that doctors in private practice are not marginalised, calling for standards of public healthcare and services to be preserved. amna The hospital doctors' union federation (OENGE) has also declared a 24-hour strike on January 31, in collaboration with the national state hospital staff union federation, demanding that the new organisational charts for hospitals being prepared by the health ministry be immediately withdrawn. [05] Survey debunks belief that Greek doctors overprescribeAMNA--A survey carried out by LeadPhysician, one of the leading companies in medical online market research, appears to contradict widely held beliefs of habitual overprescription by Greek doctors. This was reported in an announcement on Wednesday by the doctors' union at Greece's national organisation for the provision of healthcare services EOPYY.Based on the survey carried out by LeadPhysician (www.leadphysician.com), Greek doctors write an average of 210 prescriptions per month and place seventh from last in a list of 29 countries, well below the global average. The number of prescriptions written by Greek doctors are also significantly fewer than the average for several northern European countries, including Germany (250), Czech Republic (500), Hungary (550), Belgium (280), Austria (220), as well as southern European countries such as Italy (250) or Portugal (250).amna Noting these results, EOPYY doctors urge the health ministry to look elsewhere for the cause of an excessive spend on pharmaceuticals that is currently eating up 64 percent of the EOPYY budget and implement policies to reduce this amount, which currently for 64 percent of EOPYY's total budget. [06] Athens metro on strikeAthens metro employees are on strike on Thursday, Jan. 17, following their trade union's decisionThe strike is be held in protest against "government measures that abolish the collective labour agreement", according to a statement issued by metro trade union SELMA. [07] Athens Water mulling cut in water rates to consumersAMNA--Athens Water –a Greek-listed water utility- plans to lower its water rates to consumers saying its increased water reserves could last for the next three or four years. Stelios Stavridis, the company's chairman and chief executive, speaking to reporters said Athens Water will unveil its new bills in the next two months. He said that around 100,000 consumers were finding it difficult to pay one or two bills per year, while more than 200,000 families requested debt restructuring, annually.amnaAthens Water also announced a plan to ensure payment of huge debts by municipal authorities and public sector agencies (330 million and 523 million euros, respectively). Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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