The Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and government Vice President Evangelos Venizelos met with the Minister of Finances Gikas Hardouvelis on Monday in order to discuss the preparations for the negotiations with the troika in September
Amongst the issues discussed were the inefficient demands posed by the troika, such as the settlement of outstanding debts towards insurance funds, which have troubled the coalition government. With the Samaras-Venizelos government having improved public finances, the aim is to curb the troika’s demands.
In the upcoming negotiations the government will request to carry out tax cuts and increase the number of installments for insurance fund debts, as well as a reevaluation of dismissals and staff reviews. At the same time, Samaras and Venizelos are planning on urging their ministers to keep up with their efforts, in order to avoid any potential delays. Amongst the issues discussed were the privatization of DEI, finding a solution for red loans and expediting privatizations.
On his way out from the Prime Minister’s office, Mr. Venizelos commented that the negotiations are not above technical data and underlined the importance of a correct assessment of the situation. The PASOK president also noted that the government has a duty to respect the State Council’s ruling regarding the planned privatization of public water companies, which was found to be unconstitutional.
