With the financial bill presented today (1:00 p.m.), we implement 50% of our pre-election program, emphasized the Minister of Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis, speaking on Tuesday morning to SKAI 100.3 and Aris Portosalte.

“We will present the income support bill, which are our pre-election commitments. Without exceeding the economy’s endurance, without becoming saintly kings, we are implementing 50% of our pre-election program,” Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized.

Asked about her subject tax evasion he emphasized that it is a major priority of his term, with the use of digital tools as a “weapon”. “And for me personally, it is a bet to bring order to this particular issue, exhausting all the possibilities of digital tools,” he said characteristically.

“I also told the Parliament that in the first months of 2024 we will have progressed to electronic interconnection in more professions, the transmission of data to the AADE will become mandatory and thirdly, the payment of welfare allowances will be made through digital cards. All the details will be discussed, cooperation with the banks is also needed, but at the same time the aim is the automation of the controls and penalties for not entering information in mydata”, stressed the Minister of Finance.

He added that the effort will have other aspects, we are examining ideas and solutions, the battle is multi-level and he reiterated that tackling tax evasion is a top priority.

For banks he characteristically said: “We want a healthy banking system, because otherwise our deposits are at risk, and in the end we will pay the recapitalizations. Beyond that, not everything works smoothly in the banking system, I said that yesterday at the meeting we had with the banks and I spoke about the issue of competition that should work better, but this is not a matter of wishful thinking.”

Mr. Hatzidakis continued: “We can make two moves, the first is to extend the possibility of providing loans with rules from non-banking institutions, in order to increase competition, and the second is to abolish the independent taxation of interest on deposits and secretarial interest for that the depositors have other possibilities to put their money”.

Live Mr. Hatzidakis mentioned that he pointed out to the bankers that they can advertise their banking products better so that depositors can have alternatives.

Banks are not holy, but there are a lot of issues when someone declares he is broke and asks for a bank loan, added the Minister of Finance about bank lending.

Regarding the inclusion in the arrangements for debt, he said that the government decided to proceed with two types of arrangements, the first with 120 installments. “What do we say to those who owe? Come and give 2 doses and you will be considered set. I wonder why this is such a big problem. For the new debts after 2019, the regime of 72 installments was chosen, this is 7 years, which is not a little. There are others who pay them immediately. The status is favorable. If we give in to a much larger number of doses, we send the message that we do not have a serious state. That is why I say that there is a deadline and that our fellow citizens should take advantage of it in the existing framework”.

For the ferry tickets

It is the government’s obligation to examine every problem that arises, stressed Kostis Hatzidakis regarding the prices of the ferry tickets.

“Each organized state has two possibilities, the first is the competition and the competition committee and the second is the checks for profiteering, there is also a special agency that has to carry out checks” he emphasized and added: “We will approach the issue based on facts and not with populist perceptions “he emphasized and continued that “obviously it is not possible to create a state-owned shipping company”.

The weapon we primarily have is competition, stressed the Minister of Finance, adding that the Ministry of Shipping has the first role with specific rules. “However, competition is the first and basic answer, we must confront every cartel,” he stressed.

And Mr. Hatzidakis continued: “First of all, the citizen is on our mind, we must not forget the average person, if we do not defend him, no one will defend him.”

He added that the Greek shipping industry, due to the crisis, has gone through a period of its own crisis that created turbulence in the sector and stabilization is being attempted, but not to the detriment of passengers.

He added that the prime minister has also been disturbed by the story, which is why the issue will be investigated, it has already been investigated since the first days of the new government.

“One is surprised when, on the one hand, the price increases are integrated, when we have a de-escalation, but one does not see anything like that in the prices, that is why there is a government reaction, but the answers will be given.”