The secretary of SYRIZA Dimitris Vitsas explained that the government is aiming to streamline the VAT, after it was revealed that Friday’s Eurogroup agreement includes a commitment to revise the policy on VAT.
Mr. Vitsas said in a radio interview on SKAI that the goal is to increase revenue without having a negative effect on social justice, while limiting exemptions and “absurd discounts”. He later appeared on Real FM, where he added that any “small changes in a VAT rate” would not affect the “border area, books, the Press or of course the islands in the Aegean”.
Sources from the Minister of Finance clarified that at present there are no plans for a VAT increase, but should that be deemed necessary, they will first debate the matter. The SYRIZA officer appeared on SKAI radio again on Friday to repeat his claim that the VAT will be streamlined and that there will be no VAT increase on the islands and books.
