Mr. Staikouras stated that at the moment all the fiscal space has been exhausted, he estimated, however, that “in the summer additional fiscal space will be created, which will return in its entirety to society.”
The possibility of a new fuel and electricity support since September, the finance minister left open Christos Staikouras.
Speaking to ANT1, Mr. Staikouras stated that at the moment all fiscal space has been exhausted, however he estimated that, according to the course of the economy in the first half of the year, “by the summer additional fiscal space will be created, which will be fully returned to society.”
“In September we will see what we will do with the fuel of the last quarter of the year”he said, while for the current he emphasized that “if the price goes up, bolder interventions from the state will be needed.”
Asked about the possibility abolition of subsistence allowancesChristos Staikouras said that, “We have not yet implemented the measures we announced. These are issues that we discuss in general, but not within the next year. The plan is a government four-year plan. We had promised to reduce taxes and I think we have succeeded significantly at this level.”
Referring specifically to the 8.5 billion euro support measures, he said that, despite the good big picture emerging in the economy, the government “he understands the big picture and comes and intervenes with measures”.
“You all pay a lot less tax, we get past that with ease and just look at supermarket prices. I remind you that this year too the country will have a deficit. If the deficit grows, the country will have to borrow and the citizens will have to pay for it”, he said commenting on the proposals for further tax reductions and reminded that “lower incomes have a reduction in ENFIA and income tax”.
In question about VAT reduction in basic products, he answered: “I also go to the supermarket and see, I see that there is a 4-5% reduction in gasoline. We have a picture of all the parameters, all the deposits, which have increased in the last two years. Today we have exhausted all the fiscal space. 8.5 billion is the biggest package of measures in Europe”.
As for whether the measures will be before or after the elections, Christos Staikouras said that “the plan is a four-year plan. On August 20, the country comes out of the regime of increased surveillance” and he clarified that, “we are not a government of benefits, but a government of tax reduction”.
Finally, when asked to comment on Erdogan’s interventions, he described them as “unthinkable”, stressing that “they will not be accepted” and added that, “the country has set aside a fund of 2 billion euros to strengthen the country and I think this is very good for the defense of the country.”
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