New measures due to the 5th installment bring headaches

There have been continuous meetings since Tuesday morning at the office of the Minister of Finance, Mr.Papakostantinou, all in a climate of anxiety in order to devise the measures of the long-term plan that will secure the 5^th installment of the loan from the IMF in July.

Already many meetings have taken place with Mr.Fillipos Sahinidis and Minister of Labor Mrs Katseli.

The scenarios that are looked into at this moment is a lower tax-free allowance for professionals, higher tax on vehicles, beverages and gas, petrol and heating oil being taxed equally and 10% less total lump sum for pensioners – for those who received their pensions after 09/2009.

In relation to VAT there are many scenarios and in order to find common ground with Nea Dimokratia, rumours say that VAT will drop from 23% to 20%. 

Reuters has already mentioned through sources from Berlin that the IMF and the EU are positive about such a solution, although there has not yet been an official proposal by the Ministry of Finance. Most probably, VAT for eating out will increase and there will be no reductions in any categories, as protohema.gr reported today