Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-09-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Construction of Athens metro Line 4 to start end 2015, Transport Minister says

[02] Greek trade deficit up 29.4 pct in July

[03] Environment ministry tables amendment on further liberalisation of natural gas market

[01] Construction of Athens metro Line 4 to start end 2015, Transport Minister says

The length of the new line will be about 13 km, with 14 stations, and not nine as originally announced, while the train will run without a driver, he added.

Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis, Deputy Transport Minister Michalis Papadopoulos and Attiko Metro operation company chairman Christos Tsitouras attended the press conference.

The new line is expected to be completed in seven years.

Chryssohoidis said that the first part of the new line, which will start from Veikou Park and will end at Goudi, passing through populated areas of Athens, such as Galatsi, Exarheia, Kolonaki and Zografou, will serve 220,000 passengers daily.

The project has important environmental benefits, as it is estimated to reduce the number of cars in the wider Athens area by 53,000 a day.

[02] Greek trade deficit up 29.4 pct in July

The statistics service, in a report, said that the value of import-arrivals totaled 4.352 billion euros in July, from 3.949 billion in the same month last year, for an increase of 10.2 pct (excluding oil products, the value of imports rose 9.4 pct).

The value of export-deliveries totaled 2.458 billion euros in July, from 2.485 billion in July last year, for a decline of 1.1 pct (excluding oil products the value of exports rose 1.9 pct).

The trade deficit rose 29.4 pct to 1.894 billion euros, from 1.464 billion in July 2013 (excluding oil products the trade deficit rose 19.4 pct).

In the seven-month period from January to July, the value of imports totaled 28.012 billion euros, up 2.2 pct from the same period in 2013 (excluding oil products the value of imports rose 8.9 pct). The value of exports fell 4.0 pct to 15.604 billion euros in the January-July period (excluding oil products exports fell 2.9 pct).

The trade deficit rose 11.3 pct to 12.408 billion euros in the seven-month period (excluding oil products the trade deficit jumped 23.9 pct).

[03] Environment ministry tables amendment on further liberalisation of natural gas market

According to the amendment, as of October 1, 2014 all non-residential natural gas customers (namely businesses), in areas of Central Greece, Central Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia-Thrace where Gas Supply Companies (EPA) will launch their activities, will have the right to choose their supplier of preference.

With these changes, about 150 industries in those areas will be able to participate in the natural gas tenders conducted by natural gas company DEPA, which means they will have access to cheaper energy.

Moreover, the amendment allows all non-residential natural gas consumers outside areas where Gas Supply Companies (EPA) already operate or will operate – Attica, Thessaloniki, Thessaly, Central Greece, Central Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia-Thrace - to choose their own supplier. Residential customers in those six areas will continue buying natural gas exclusively from local Gas Supply Companies.

Under the legislation, Gas Supply Companies are obliged to allow suppliers access the Distribution Networks they manage, provided this is required for the supply of customers that have been given the right to choose whichever company they prefer.

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