Deputy spokesman of the IMF William Murray said that representatives of Greece’s troika of lenders will arrive in Athens in the second half of September to begin the sixth review of the fiscal adjustment program.
Asked to comment on the Greek statistical authority’s data according to which one in three Greeks lives below the poverty level and that Greece is fourth in poverty among EU member-states, Murray said that the country should intensify its efforts to exit the crisis promoting structural reforms, and that the issue would be discussed in the upcoming troika review.
Mr. Murray was asked about the funding of political parties in Greece and if IMF insists on changes and said that it is a “special issue” and should ask clarifications from the head of the Greek program, Paul Thomsen.
Asked to comment on the reports of IMF analysts and specifically on a report mentioning that the decision for “great wage cuts” in Greece was proved ineffective in terms of enhancing the economy, Mr. Murray chose not to express any opinion.
Mr. Murray stressed that Greece has achieved “tremendous progress” in terms of restoring fiscal sustainability, repeating an earlier report.
He further said that the IMF agrees with Greek authorities that there is no need for across-the-board cuts in wages and pensions.
To questions on whether a meeting had been scheduled between Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde in mid-August, when the latter is in Europe, the spokesman said he would look into the issue.
Asked about the Greek debt and specifically about reports that European officials mentioned that Greek debt is sustainable, the deputy representative of IMF stressed again that Greece’s partners’ agreed to provide “the necessary support for debt relief at 114% of GDP in 2020 and less than 110% of GDP in 2022.
Finally, when asked about the statement made by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, that “Greece was saved in order to safeguard the interests of large European banks, which were exposed”, he declined to comment and said that should be addressed to Italian authorities.
