Press Review May 8: Unchecked Wealth

While Greek citizens are taxed to death, cases of suspected major tax evasion go uninvestigated; a 57 year-old small-time bondholder becomes the latest crisis-related suicide; total expired debts to the state now reach 65 billion euros; the real-estate market is back to 1980s prices; and Golden Dawn MPs put on a show in parliament. Photo by Antonis Gkekas via Flickr.

The Press Project
8 Μαΐου 2014 | 09:08:02

	EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON Unchecked wealth Large numbers of cases of potential tax evasion are gathering cobwebs At the same time that the Finance Ministry is enacting its austerity policies on ‘small fry’ taxpayers, in the drawers of its auditors thousands of cases of suspected major tax evasion are gathering dust. They are cases concerning significant wealth, with large amounts transferred abroad and to offshore companies. The audits here move at a snail’s pace. Offshore companies subject to audits: 6,575 Actually audited: 4 Cases of large wealth subject to audits: 720 Actually audited: 59 Wealth transfers abroad subject to audit: 24,710 Actually audited: 31
	DIMOKRATIA “They destroyed us,” A 57-year old small-time bondholder who lost 300,000 euros in Venizelos’s ‘haircut’ commits suicide. A day before his birthday the elevator seller hanged himself in Thessaloniki. “May they burn alive,” says his wife.
	ELEFTHEROTYPIA Drowning in debts Expired debts to the state rise to 65 billion 2.5 million Greeks are living the government’s ‘success story’ in their daily lives as in only the first quarter of the year, 3.5 billion euros of newly expired debts to the state were created as citizens declared their inability to meet their obligations. The total of expired debts now reaches 65 billion euros, increasing by a rate of about one billion a month. On the other hand the state is running up bills of its own, with its outstanding debts reaching 4.74 billion euros, while the return of liquidity to the markets appears to be the only myth one can live in Greece. Against this backdrop a 57 year-old bondholder hung himself, unable to bear the strain any longer.
	ETHNOS The new market landscape in 40 regions of Greece: Real-estate at 1980’s prices The financial crisis and over-taxation have returned the price of real-estate to 1980s levels. Even newly-built homes in neighborhoods and suburbs of Athens and Thessaloniki are being sold at the cost of their construction. There are opportunities for prices as low as 100 euros per square meter. Sales have gone through for as low as 70% of the ‘objective value’ of a property [a theoretical figure calculated by the state for tax purposes].
	TA NEA The Golden Dawn Show When Boukouras wasn’t crying Stathis Boukouras, the MP in pretrial custody, teared up in parliament claiming his complete ignorance regarding the criminal activity of Golden Dawn – forgetting the evidence for his activity with its paramilitary attack groups. Alexopoulos also distanced himself from the party.