Galery

1

“There is another way” insists the leader of New Democracy Antonis Samaras, who yesterday presented the economic proposal of the opposition called a “Strategy of hope for ending the crisis.” New Democracy leader said again that the monitoring by the IMF is not a way out, on the contrary. He tried to shake off labels like “laic” because of his opposition to the Memorandum. Therefore, he does not speak about rejecting the Memorandum, but about a different mix of policies that will lead to more rapid achievement of the objectives and allow Greece to come out of the supervision of the Triple for two years; the surplus will reach 0%, by 2014 but the country will limit its debt to below 100 percent of GDP.

Mr. Samaras generally adopts the restrictive measures of the Memorandum signed, but said that some reforms are unfair, such as the cuts of the 13^th and 14^th pension, engaging to help pensioners with low pensions. “The other mix” of policies that Mr. Samaras submitted is based on his assessment that the measures already taken are sufficient to limit the budget surplus.

Among the proposals of Mr. Samaras are 23 measures which were presented several months ago (for opening of closed professions, for restraints between the public and private sector, for support of the construction sector) but also: unifying of state mechanisms such as tax offices, pay desks, urban development, reform of state railways and better utilization of human resources in the public sector. His proposal for the health sector is the introduction of e-prescription of recipes, including private companies in the process.

As for the energy, he proposes investments in renewable energy sources and hydropower plants, establishment of private plants for electricity production of natural gas. Parallel, the state to pay its debts to construction entrepreneurs, suppliers, but also to companies that are waiting for tax return through bonds. Mr. Samaras has offered a new law on investment to be drawn up, which will focus on incentives for the payment of taxes and adopt more stringent measures against the black market.