By Chrysostomos Tsoufis

No one is “getting glaucoma in Athens” claiming that 2023 will also be (another) year that the Greek State will (miserably) fail to complete the mission of reducing its overdue debts to the market. The double crisis – pandemic and energy – has set back the goal of nihilism, but here we have reached the other extreme where month after month the state machine produces more and more fads.

The latest data available to skai.gr and which have not yet been published show that October closed with a debt of almost 2.5 billion euros – 2.495 billion euros to be precise – which are shown to be increased for the third consecutive month. It is also the 2nd highest price of the year.

But that’s not all. To the 2.5 billion euros must be added the 775 million euros of pending tax refunds. Despite the honorable efforts made by the AADE and the Ministry of Finance, the outstanding refunds have been increasing for 4 consecutive months. The sum of the two gives us 3.275 billion euros, valuable liquidity that the market currently lacks.

In the Ministry of Finance, however, they remain reassuring. In the introductory report of the 2024 budget, it is stated that the overdue debts of the State have a strong seasonal nature, on the other hand an amount of €989 million (which mainly concerns hospitals) is to be offset with clawback and rebate expenses and therefore the total overdue debts are significantly less. close to 2.3 billion euro.

The increase in overdue debts is observed in all the subcategories examined, but the big patient was, is – and if nothing changes drastically – will be the hospitals.
Their debts in October reached 1.403 billion euros, while the year started at 907 million euros, an increase of 496 million euros. In the 2024 budget, the discussion of which began yesterday in the Parliament, a €400 million fund is foreseen exclusively for the coverage of hospital debts which, however, if the same fiddle continues, will not lead to a reduction of the total.

They follow with 627 million. social security organizations. And insurance funds raised their stock after starting the year with 505 million euros in debt. More than 1/3 of the debts – 261 million euros – is held by EOPYY.

The Local Government Organizations are also contributing, which this year “created” 67 million euros in new debt, reaching 160 million euros from 93 million euros at the end of last year.
About 208 million euros of debts are the share of the legal entities of the General Government.

All of this is happening despite the fact that Brussels has repeatedly expressed its displeasure through a series of recommendations both from close quarters and through reports. The Commission has requested that the payment of the State suppliers be made within 60 days. It has also called for the conditions and terms of payments to be removed as is the case with hospitals whose debts are repaid in full as long as their private suppliers waive their rights to interest, any damages and physical remedies.