The IRIS service is the most useful tool that exists at this time for both citizens and professionals, said the Minister of National Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis, responding earlier today in the Parliament, to a relevant topical question by PASOK MP Pavlos Geroulanos.

The Minister of National Economy and Finance said that more and more citizens, especially young people, take advantage of the IRIS service, which makes it possible to transfer amounts, up to 500 euros, from the mobile phone, without any bank commission, between citizens.

“We say that every freelancer should have a professional account that is connected to this system so that anyone who wants to can do business with him, without commission,” said Mr. Hatzidakis and underlined that from the beginning it had become clear that the recipient of the service is the general public who will be able to choose payment, through a bank, with IRIS, and make a payment without commission. “When two citizens trade with each other with the IRIS system, for 500 euros or less, neither one nor the other pays a commission. When there is a transaction with a merchant, with a freelancer, which we obliged them all to also have the IRIS system, as a method of transaction, the citizen does not pay commissions and the freelancer pays the bank, depending on the bank’s policy, a certain small or a smaller commission, and that’s all,” Kostis Hatzidakis said. “Today as we speak, the rest of the trading systems, also for freelancers, were more expensive than IRIS,” said the Minister of National Economy and Finance and insisted that today IRIS is a cheaper service.

PASOK MP Pavlos Geroulanos said that while the government had advertised the IRIS system as a transaction method, without any fees or bank commissions, banks are announcing that they will charge freelancers and traders. Mr. Geroulanos even cited a publication, according to which the fees will be 0.5% and 1%, on the turnover of the transaction.

According to the data presented to the Parliament by the Minister of National Economy and Finance, those who use IRIS since last December amount to 2.2 million citizens and their transactions showed a 300% increase compared to the previous year.

Pavlos Geroulanos referred to a “leakage of Ministry of Finance circles, against him”, when his topical question about IRIS was made public. “Since then it has appeared that you have been caught with the goat on your back. Why, instead of taking the banks and asking them what right they had to take you and the liar Prime Minister out, you messed with me. And certainly not you. Your circles”, said the PASOK MP and added: “There is only one truth. Banks do whatever they want to you. Each one was assigned. You cover the banks. I serve what I consider fair. And the fair thing is that when you make something mandatory, when you send thousands of human customers to the bank, you also put limits.”

“I understand that the competitors of this or any other similar system may be disturbed, but for you and PASOK to be disturbed is something beyond my imagination,” said Mr. Hatzidakis. He expressed surprise at the fact that an audit is being carried out for a system that has no provisions for citizens and has the smallest provisions for traders and professionals. “It is your right of course, and it is my right to record my astonishment at your persisting in this matter. And I don’t understand why you mind that we made it mandatory so that the citizen transacting does not pay a commission. If you want to tell citizens to use the more expensive systems, go for it. Anyway, I’m not saying that”, concluded the minister.