20 burning measures in the new memorandum

Greek ministers left the meeting with Lucas Papademos on Thursday evening in a state of shock. Like another "Big Brother", the Troika is asking for everything and getting deep into the interior of the Greek state, its economy and its society. It wants the PSI, the new loan agreement and the new measures all in one package. This package, upon the implementation of which the Ttroika hinges the conclusion of the new loan agreement - and thus the avoidance of default - contains:

   1. layoffs in the narrow public sector, with national defence and health as the proposed areas
   2. reduction of supplementary pensions
   3. a single fund for supplementary insurance
   4. reduction of admissions to the schools of the armed forces and the police
   5. reinforcement of the 1-per-5 rule in hiring
   6. intraparty tax secretary
   7. new taxation system as a result of bipartisan agreement
   8. reduction in the expenses of ministries by 1% of the GDP
   9. reduction of civil servants by 150,000 by 2015
  10. cuts in the list of prescription drugs

  11. program against corruption
  12. selling or entry of ATE in a new merger
  13. slashing the 13th and 14th salary to freeze wages and business contracts
  14. flexible forms of employment under territorial pacts
  15. recapitalization and consolidation of banks
  16. layoffs in banks
  17. privatization of SOEs with prior cutting of labor and wage privileges
  18. reduction in social contributions and welfare benefits
  19. removal of restrictions in markets such as energy and telecommunications
  20. deregulation of professions to the extent of removing the mandatory presence of lawyers in notary deeds
 
Earlier protothema.gr published reports according to which all three parties supporting the government disagree on the slashing the 13th and 14th salary.

The situation becomes more difficult for the government due to the 2 billion "hole" in the 2012 budget. The governmental meeting decided to try to find the money by reducing expenditure on medicines and defense, which means that new taxes and other horizontal cuts are excluded for the time being.

They also talked about the prediction that certain measures will not go through parliament in view of the upcoming elections. Nevertheless, the Troika is not asking the parties simply to legislate, but to commit to the implementation of the measures with the signing of their leaders. Otherwise, lenders would withdraw and leave Greece on a predestined path to default on March 20, the expiration date of bonds worth 15 billion euros.