By Chrysostomos Tsoufis

Despite the “tight” fiscal situation caused by the floods, the financial staff announced measures to boost the income of households that exceed €1 billion and are distributed as follows:

-€411m by the end of the year

-€613m for 2024.

Before Christmas, 750,000 pensioners with a personal difference of more than €10 will receive the personal difference allowance as compensation for not seeing increases in their main pensions. The allowance, which has a total cost for the budget of €107m, will be smaller than last year:

-€200 for the sum of pensions up to €700

-€150 for pensions from €701 to €1100

-€100 for pensions from €1101 to €1600

The heating allowance will be given and calculated in exactly the same way as last year. The income criteria remain the same – 16,000€ for the unmarried and 24,000€ for the married – but the income criterion is expanded from 3,000€ to 5,000€ per child.

At the same time, however, a cut is also introduced for natural persons who carry out business activities and have an annual turnover higher than €80,000.

The Ministry of Finance also clarified that consumers who “give up” natural gas as a means of heating are NOT entitled to a double allowance this year as happened last year.

These changes reduce the final cost of the measure to €237m from €280m last year.

In October, farmers will receive the refund of the EFFK on oil amounting to €78 million, while from December the Minimum Guaranteed Income will increase by 8% with 225,000 beneficiaries

Especially for the citizens of Evros and Thessaly, approximately 280,000 households with 740,000 members, the market pass is extended until the end of the year and doubled to 44/month increased by €20/child at a cost of €35m

2024 will enter with an increase in pensions for all those who do not have a personal difference of around 3% with a final cost of €400m. The final amount of the increase will depend on the final amount of the growth rate and inflation.

From the new year, the three-year period will be unfrozen, the penalty of 30% withholding from the pensions of working pensioners will be abolished and the maternity allowance for freelancers and farmers will be increased to 9 months and to the level of the minimum wage from the current €150 and €200 with a cost of €40m

The only new charge envisaged is the so-called climate change levy which works in addition to the accommodation tax on tourist accommodation but will also be imposed on all properties used for short-term rental. This fee is from 1-6€ depending on the stars of the accommodation. So now both fees together are:

-€1.5 for 1-2 star accommodation

-€3 for 3-star accommodation

-€7 for 4-star accommodation

-€10 for 5-star accommodation

-€1.5 for rooms to rent and short-term lease

The revenue from this measure is estimated at €240 million per year and will strengthen the “piggy bank” that has been created in the budget to deal with the consequences of natural disasters.

The Ministry of Finance has decided to impose VAT and a resident tax on all short-term rental properties owned by legal entities as well as natural persons who manage 3 or more.