Stournaras to Tsipras: Let’s negotiate the debt reduction together
Stournaras to Tsipras: Let’s negotiate the debt reduction together
He assured that there will be no new taxes - "If we achieve our goals we can reduce tax rates" - "The new meeting with the troika will take place in the summer with emphasis on development measures"
Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras sent a direct invitation to the opposition party and personally to Tsipras to take part in the upcoming negotiations with Greece's partners to reduce its debt.
Speaking to Skai, the Minister pledged that there will be no new taxes and that hereafter the negotiations with the troika will focus on developmental measures. He added that as the country will achieve the fiscal targets it has received, so will the government be able to increase its ability to reduce the existing tax rates.
Stournaras mentioned thoroughly the negotiations with the troika and what was finally agreed, saying that in September the representatives of Greece’s partners and creditors were asking for even more measures but now have realized that the Greek side was right when it talked about a primary surplus and have even accepted the distribution of a part of it as a social dividend.
In response to the objections of the opposition that the primary surplus is essentially an accounting record and that was achieved due to the nonpayment of the state obligations, Stournaras said that this surplus is two thirds due to the drastic reduction of government spending and only one third from the increase of tax revenue and taxes. He admitted that the level of government spending cannot be reduced much more, but it might in general government, as there are still government bodies working at excessive and unacceptable costs.
Asked whether the Greek side has made any "hidden commitments" which, as the opposition complains, will be made knwn after the European elections as a kind of a "secret memorandum" Stournaras replied that after almost eight months of tough negotiations with the troika, the government succeeded in convincing about the effectiveness of its policy and this was reflected in the final agreement.
He repeated his invitation to SYRIZA to sit together at the negotiating table after the next Eurogroup, when the debate on debt reduction will open, in order to convince them that the only key action to achieving this goal is to ensure the surplus for the next years and also comply with the commitments undertaken by Greece. He concluded that these two conditions are reverently met by the Greek side and what now remains is for the European partners to honor their own part.
Speaking to Skai, the Minister pledged that there will be no new taxes and that hereafter the negotiations with the troika will focus on developmental measures. He added that as the country will achieve the fiscal targets it has received, so will the government be able to increase its ability to reduce the existing tax rates.
Stournaras mentioned thoroughly the negotiations with the troika and what was finally agreed, saying that in September the representatives of Greece’s partners and creditors were asking for even more measures but now have realized that the Greek side was right when it talked about a primary surplus and have even accepted the distribution of a part of it as a social dividend.
In response to the objections of the opposition that the primary surplus is essentially an accounting record and that was achieved due to the nonpayment of the state obligations, Stournaras said that this surplus is two thirds due to the drastic reduction of government spending and only one third from the increase of tax revenue and taxes. He admitted that the level of government spending cannot be reduced much more, but it might in general government, as there are still government bodies working at excessive and unacceptable costs.
Asked whether the Greek side has made any "hidden commitments" which, as the opposition complains, will be made knwn after the European elections as a kind of a "secret memorandum" Stournaras replied that after almost eight months of tough negotiations with the troika, the government succeeded in convincing about the effectiveness of its policy and this was reflected in the final agreement.
He repeated his invitation to SYRIZA to sit together at the negotiating table after the next Eurogroup, when the debate on debt reduction will open, in order to convince them that the only key action to achieving this goal is to ensure the surplus for the next years and also comply with the commitments undertaken by Greece. He concluded that these two conditions are reverently met by the Greek side and what now remains is for the European partners to honor their own part.
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