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Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-10-25Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] ESM Board of Directors approves 2.8 bln euro disbursement to GreeceThe Board of Directors of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) today authorised the disbursement of 2.8 billion euros to Greece, which is the remaining amount of the second tranche of ESM financial assistance."Today's decision to disburse 2.8 billion euros to Greece is a sign that the Greek people are steadily making progress in reforming their country. The government has completed key milestones in the area of pension reform, bank governance, the energy sector, and revenue collection. It has also taken further steps in making the new privatisation and investment fund operational. If the government continues to implement the reforms agreed in the ESM programme, growth of the Greek economy could accelerate next year and the government may be able to start issuing bonds again next year," said ESM Managing Director Klaus Regling. This 2.8 billion euro disbursement consists of two parts: 1.1 billion euro was approved for release following the full implementation of a set of 15 milestones by the Greek authorities, and is to be used for debt servicing. A further 1.7 billion euro can now also be disbursed after a positive assessment of the clearance of net arrears by Greece; this amount will be disbursed to a dedicated account for clearing arrears. "I am also pleased to note that the Greek government has fulfilled its commitment to clear arrears, as this will have a positive impact on the country's economy. I hope our good cooperation with the Greek government continues, so that the second review of the programme can be completed in a timely manner," said Regling. [02] State Min Pappas: The Parliament drafts laws. Courts do not legislate, they judgeSpeaking about the TV licences to ANA' radio station Praktorio 104.9 FM, State Minister Nikos Pappas on Tuesday said: "We are expecting the decisions. Meanwhile, we are proceeding as we have planned. The tender has been completed, and it has brought to the state revenues higher than expected. These revenues have already been channeled to actions that will improve our lives. In any case we all know that the decisions of the courts need to be respected and I think we have operated under the provisions of the Constitution and the previous decisions of the State Council, and these problems we were called to solve."Asked whether judges can impose a decision on the government, he replied: "The government will respect the Constitution and the court decisions. What cannot be done is to have the provisions written in the courts. Courts can neither write the provisions nor draft laws. The parliament drafts the laws. Courts judge, they do not legislate. Anyone who might have such ideas should get rid of them. The tender on TV licences was necessary to put in order the TV landscape." [03] Labour Min Katrougalos meets with institutions' representatives on labour issuesLabour Minister Giorgos Katrougalos and the representatives of the institutions meet on Tuesday to discuss labour issues.In statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA), Katrougalos expressed his optimism over a positive outcome of the negotiations. He underlined that the negotiations will be hard as the IMF is an "extreme player." However, he estimated that the outcome will be positive since both sides are willing to come to an agreement. Moreover, Katrougalos reiterated that he seeks the return of the country to the European social model, adding that the report of the Committee of Independent Experts strengthens the Greek positions because they aim at Greece's reintegration to the European normality. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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