The Minister of Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism Giorgos Stathakis was confident that the IMF would be “flexible” if Greece were to delay its loan payments due on the 30th of Jun, provided there is an agreement in place.
Mr. Stathakis, who appeared on Mega Channel of Wednesday morning, noted that there were “two or three” issues yet to be resolved, in order to conclude the negotiations, such as long-term debt relief and the VAT discount for islands. The Minister estimated that the agreement would “sealed” at the upcoming EU summit and stressed that Greece would not be requesting an extension of the current program.
When asked about the measures proposed by the government, Mr. Stathakis pointed out that they will not further exacerbate the recession, as the burden is on businesses and wealthy taxpayers. He also commented that the government managed to preserve wages and pensions, despite calls for cuts. Furthermore, measures such as the 100-installment settlement will help increase tax revenue in the second half of 2015.
The agreement that is being negotiated will also affect the public debt. Mr. Stathakis noted that the government wants the agreement to include provisions regarding the long-term settlement of the country’s debts.
