"The public discussion on restructuring the debt does not help"

The public discussion on restructuring our debt is not helpful for the country, said the Minister of Finance Mr.Papakostantinou when he was asked by the Athens Press Agency to comment about former PM Kostas Simitis' interview in a Sunday newspaper. Talking in a press conference at the margins of the IMF spring session, Mr.Papakostantinou said there is no consideration of restructuring and such a move would cause the country much more damage than good.

He also referred to the PM's statements from yesterday on the programme for 2012-2015, underlining that Greece will succeed and benefit immensely in many sections such as economy, growth etc. Referring to all property and companies that belong to the State, he said that such property that is not used for the benefit of the people is just wasting away.

The Minister accused all those that are critical of the government's measures, and asked them to find an answer to how to make a country spend less than it earns. Commenting on the internal criticism from Pasok, he said that the economic policies are not my own but the government's, "and the people will judge them, just as the Prime Minister will. I am doing my job, expressing our policies and our stuggle not to allow the country to go bankrupt." He also said that this may cause collisions on all fronts but that will not stop the government. He also mentioned that the government is asking for a new healthy bank sector.

Lastly, mentioning his meeting with his American counterpart, Mr. Timothy Geithner, he conveyed that the US is pleased with the government, the people and the effort everybody is putting in.