DIMOKRATIA

 

Megalomania!  “I will not let Thomsen take the glory. I will fire the doctors myself”. Health Minister, Adonis Georgiadis outdid himself.
Health Minister said yesterday to ANA-MPE: “If there are doctors’ dismissals from the unified health insurance fund (EOPYY), I don’t want it to be perceived as a success of troika. I don’t want Thomsen to take the glory for the obvious. I make the decisions.  
 
*Adonis Georgiadis is a controversial politician who often provokes Media and opposition reactions. He was MP for LAOS, a far right-wing party, before moving to New Democracy. Used to be host himself of a TV program through which he sold the books of his publishing house, Georgiadis is often guest in many TV programs. 

ETHNOS

Troika is blind to 1.1 billion euros
Mr. Thomsen and his associates refuse to see the high and viable primary surplus that the Greek government has secured.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras as well as the troika representatives left Athens to participate in the Eurogroup meeting. The creditors’ reps will return to Greece on Friday and Mr. Stournaras on Saturday (after he will take part in the Ecofin meeting), to resume negotiations not only regarding prior actions required to disburse the €1 billion tranche (pending since July), but also for another €4,9 bln, that is supposed to be disbursed in December.  

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ELEFTHEROTYPIA

Wages cuts are a big fiasco, Eurostat admits that they don’t promote competiveness
Eurostat also notes that the cut of tax refunds and state investments are the factors that produced a primary surplus.
Despite having the second higher nominal labor cost decrease in EU (-8.1%), Greek economy didn’t become much more competitive (only 4.5%) form 2009 to 2012, while share losses in the exports are huge (-27%) and industrial production decreased by 2% last September and 6% in the last three months. At the same time the 1.1 billion euros surplus led to loses of 3.5 billion euros of state investments that would boost the development of the economy.

KATHIMERINI 

Tax revenues exceed expectations
For the first time in the last 10 months, tax revenues exceeded the expectations, helping the country to secure a primary surplus for 2013 and stay on track to meet its fiscal targets. The surplus will exceed 344 million euros that is the government’s target.
Deputy Finance Minister Christos Staikouras told reporters that tax revenue is €250 million above target. “With huge sacrifices from Greek citizens, unprecedented in post-war Europe, it seems that the country is succeeding its goal,” Staikouras said.

TA NEA

Crazy scenarios regarding property tax law
ND and PASOK go back and forth with the legislation as a result of the tough reaction of their MPs. Some tax reductions are still on the table, but also a possible double tax for big property owners.
The government’s alternative scenario for the tax property law has a provision of double tax for those whose property value exceeds 300.000 euros and some tax reductions for the small properties. The target is to make the coalition parties’ MPs to come in terms with the government.