Report: Draft of deal sent by Commission to Athens for approval

Agreement foresees tax measures worth 3.5 bln euros — Same-day article by Tsipras refers to creditors’ ‘intransigence’

A draft agreement reportedly disseminated by the EU Commission includes additional tax and revenue measures worth 3.5 billion euros in return for freeing up 7.2 billion in money remaining in the second bailout package, which the cash-strapped leftist Greek government has been trying to access since late February.

According to the Athens television station Ant1, the draft text was sent to the Greek government on Saturday afternoon in the form of a memorandum of understanding, and including creditors’ positions – essentially the framework of the Feb. 20 deal that remains elusive since.

The text lists tax and revenue measures to be implemented by the government as well as specific positions on so-called “obstacles” in negotiations to date, such as labor liberalization, pension reform and the property tax.

According to the same report, creditors’ representatives believe negotiations have delayed to the point of aggravating a financial gap for 2015.

The dispatch of the draft text – if the report proves accurate – means that an eight-hour meeting on Saturday by PM Alexis Tsipras, top ministers and members of the negotiating team poured over the document.

An answer by Athens in the affirmative would mean the drafting of the final agreement for signing.
In a related story, Tsipras on Sunday blamed creditors’ intransigence, as he said, in an article published in “Le Monde”.