A fierce confrontation took place in Parliament between the Minister of Finance, Christos Staikouras, and the leaders of the KINAL parliamentary group, Michalis Katrini and Nadias Giannakopoulou, on the occasion of a question question submitted by their party about the accuracy and infamy.
Mr. Staikouras accused KINAL of populism and stressed that he systematically avoids costing his proposals, because what he says is unrealistic. At the same time, he left open the possibility of reducing VAT on food, stressing that everything is being considered and nothing has been ruled out, based on priorities, needs and fiscal discipline.
“We will take other measures, but there are no money trees in Greece,” said Mr. Staikouras.
For their part, both the chairman of the KINAL parliamentary group, Michalis Katrinis, and the party’s parliamentary representative, N. Giannakopoulou, accused the government of ineffective, failed, dead-end and ideological policies, while speaking of their falsification and selective presence. financial data in order to improve the situation.
“The government is in a big storm and turmoil, to make a gross distortion of the reality that the Greek is experiencing and to falsify the data. You make a selective presentation of elements to say your poem, with the motto of your complacency, that ‘we do everything well, everything is perfect’ “, said the parliamentary representative of KINAL, Nadia Giannakopoulou and added:
“You accused us of taking risks, and of populism. The beautification of the situation, however, has a limit. Is a tsunami of accuracy a danger? Is it populism? “That from the energy precision mainly the lower social strata are affected?”
Commenting on the accusations of the three government ministers who responded to KINAL’s question, that the proposal to reduce VAT on food is unrealistic and unrealistic, Ms. Giannakopoulou countered:
“Do you not consult with the Deputy Minister of Finance, Theodoros Skylakakis, whether the excise tax is fair or unfair? From what he said, it shows that the reason why you do not reduce him is ideological. Mr. Skylakakis says that the tax is fair because it concerns the rich. We ask, if this is the reason why you do not reduce it, or if the reasons as you say are fiscal “.
“We as KINAL – continued Mrs. Giannakopoulou – are in favor of the reduction, and we do not say it for communication reasons. We make specific suggestions and our concern is how to become more useful in society, and not to resort to beautifications and half measures. We have submitted a comprehensive package of measures to address the problems. “
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Commenting on the attack of the Minister of Development, Adonis Georgiadis, on the president of KINAL, Nikos Androulakis, Ms. Giannakopoulou accused him of “indulging in a crescent of providing data that does not correspond to reality.”
“He blamed Mr. Androulakis because, as he said, he is praising Portugal but not Greece, which has succeeded and has a lower inflation rate. In what month is Mr. Georgiadis? Because the data he gave, refer to August 2021. To better read the article of Mr. Androulakis, along with the proposals he made in detail, and not to accuse us that we do not have proposals. You do not have a program with substantial support measures for society for ideological reasons […] Is it your budget cost or your ideology that you are not implementing effective support measures? Will you answer with specific numbers and not with your buzzwords? Gone are the days when it was easy for you, because you had SYRIZA in front of you. “Inflation was at 5.5% in January and not at 1.2%”, he pointed out and added:
“You are using arguments to attack the president of KINAL, who comes to answer with evidence. Answer at the same level and not with buzzwords: The monthly growth rate of inflation was 0.5% in Greece in January, when in Portugal it was zero “.
“Ms. Giannakopoulou also spoke about Greece’s sad lead with 540% on energy prices and added that Eurostat data need answers.” He also attacked the Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Skreka, questioning the information he presented.
“The Greek pays the highest average price in the EU. We are talking about the cost of living in Luxembourg with salaries in the Balkans. The price of the megawatt took off. In Greece we have the most expensive wholesale price of natural gas in the EU. You can not say how nice you are doing, because all you give are benefits, which are necessary, but the country and society need comprehensive support measures. You were content with the bonus policy. We did not even hear controls on the market structure that has many distortions. There is panic in the SW, without giving answers to the critical key problems of the country. “There is complete uncertainty and ambiguity about where the energy crisis is leading and where prices will reach,” said Ms. Giannakopoulou.
“We need brave measures without delay, with a comprehensive program. We have submitted it with full responsibility. Your argument is ‘where will we find the money’. You have the piggy bank, but you play with numbers and words and you play society “.
Accuracy and inflation are not addressed by wish lists, bonuses and beautifications, nor by individual and piecemeal measures. Need targeted, immediate integrated measures Adopt the proposals we made to you. “Your embarrassing inaction is definitely not a solution,” Ms. Giannakopoulou concluded.
Chr. Staikouras: The populism and the danger of KINAL are proven
The reaction of the Minister of Finance, Christos Staikouras, was immediate, accusing KINAL of populism and unrealistic proposals.
“Again, avoid costing because what you are saying is unrealistic. I did not hear anything about the costing of the measures. “How much budgetary cost do you have?”, Mr. Staikouras countered and added:
“The populism and the danger of KINAL are proving, in the face of a large and intense energy crisis, greater than the initial European estimates. You told us that is not enough. We will take other measures, but there are no money trees in Greece “.
“We are trying to deal with this difficult situation in the best possible way,” Staikouras continued. The political leadership of the Ministry of Finance evaluates everything, and VAT, consistently and collectively, on the basis of priorities, needs and fiscal discipline. There is no unlimited budget. “You also overcame the permanent tax cuts.”
“We are making moves with insight. These challenges are not easy. We try to deal with them responsibly, prudently and decisively. We evaluate everything. We have not ruled out anything. Everything just has to be taken into account. We have neither embarrassment nor panic, but great composure, because we have managed all crises in an excellent way and effectively. We move forward with method, prudence, wisdom and quick reflexes “, concluded Mr. Staikouras.
For his part, the chairman of the KINAL Parliamentary Group, Michalis Katrinis, in his deuterology rejected the accusations of the government staff “about not costing” the measures “, objecting that” the failed financial management of the government led to a deficit of 6%, which “Although it is presented as a ‘great success’, it does not allow any political movement in support of the people’s incomes”.
“Across Europe, while the discussion is about the further reduction of VAT rates from the already reduced (4% to 6%) they have, in Greece, where VAT is 13%, the issue is not even discussed,” he said. Mr. Katrinis.
He also blamed “complete governmental absence from European fora for the need to change the terms of the Fiscal Stability and Growth Pact, which would allow smaller targets and therefore greater budgetary margin to support households and businesses in our country.”
“You are handcuffed. The biggest bomb in the Greek economy, what the Greek society will remember about the government of New Democracy from 2019 (and unknown until when), is that it left a bomb which when it explodes will leave behind debris. We will have many thousands of our fellow citizens who will not be able to buy basic foodstuffs, leading to social marginalization. “This is the imprint left by your government,” concluded Mr. Katrinis.
Responding to Mr. Katrinis and his accusations “for the failed fiscal policy of the government”, Mr. Staikouras said characteristically:
“Yesterday the Budget said that we will reduce ENFIA by 70 million and we reduced it by 350 million. And are we handcuffed? Yesterday and today these figures came out and it is reflected that, not only are we not handcuffed, but we provide, due to the good fiscal course of the country, fiscal space to do, not temporary tax cuts that you want, but permanent tax cuts that we want , and we did it yesterday.
You say we are “tied hand and foot” when 70 becomes 350, that is, it actually becomes many times more, five million taxpayers will see a further reduction of ENFIA, mainly in the lower and middle income strata “.
“We – continued Mr. Staikouras – have a responsibility to have fiscal stability. And yes, we are also looking at VAT reductions on food. We have examined everything. I have been saying for a month now, how much is the reduction in VAT on bread for example – not the zeroing, but the reduction. I have also said, however, that in addition to the budgetary costs, we must be completely safe. “So everything is evaluated, but to the extent that there are budgetary possibilities.”
Finally, Mr. Staikouras emphasized the issue of deposits, emphasizing that “compared to November, in a period of 5% inflation, they have increased from 175 billion to 180 billion. They are increased every month. 52% are from households “.
“Our estimate is that we will have strong primary surpluses, which will come from the denominator, from high and sustainable growth. Depending on the goals we achieve, and we work to keep the goals much lower, we will use the fiscal space for even greater tax cuts and social policy towards vulnerable households, health and other sectors. We will continue to pursue policies with economic efficiency and social reciprocity, always close to society, taking into account and counting that we have a responsibility for today and tomorrow, for today and the next generations “, concluded Mr. Staikouras.
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