The leftist SYRIZA government’s latest attempt to table and win approval of a set of reforms – as mandated by Eurozone creditors – enters a final stretch this week. “Creative ambiguity” has rapidly given way to breakneck efforts to clinch a coveted loan extension agreement and the money that comes along with it, given that the new government is now working with reduced liquidity and cash flow problems.
According to reports, “one-off” revenue measures, as such installment plans to collect debts to the state and social security funds, are matched with privatizations of the port of Piraeus, 14 regional airports and even the debt-laden pari-mutuel horse track.
The privatizations, of course, would be a high-profile reversal in policy for the radical left party, which promised to block the sales when in the opposition and even days after it came first in the Jan. 25 election (i.e. statements by current minister Panagiotis Lafazanis).
Another reform is the creation of a “bad band” to collect non-performing loans.
In total, the list, as compiled by the finance ministry and forwarded by FinMin Yanis Varoufakis’ office, points to 3.7 billion euros in increased revenue for various reforms or measures – the latter mainly dealing with efforts to stem tax and contributions evasion, as well as retroactive checks on previous years’ export of money.
One “reform” even includes a figure of 350 million euros from the sale of television broadcast licenses to Greece’s already debt-laden broadcasters.
Other reforms-cum measures are better checks against fuel and tobacco smuggling and new licenses for e-gambling.
On the “spending” side, which the new government dubs as popular measures, the government says it will abolish a “zero budget gap” provision for funds allocating lump sum pension payments, restoring a “13th pension” for beneficiaries receiving under 600 euros a month.