“Next week we will have the first proposals from the European Commission on the issues raised,” said Finance Minister Christos Staikouras to SKAI and George Avtias.
Mr. Staikouras referred to Greece’s initiatives in Europe. THE first one concerns the exclusion of defense spending from the calculation of future budget deficits, by directive of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
THE second is to create a fund in Europe that utilizes pollutants and diverts resources to the Member States in a budget-neutral way so that we can have the necessary liquidity and fiscal space to help households and businesses.
The changes in Europe and the Member States will be enough, due to the war in Ukraine, however, Mr. Staikouras assured that what the government has promised will not change.
In particular, he said that it will be legislated in a few days new lower permanent ENFIA.
Regarding the minimum wage, he said that the commitment to reduce unemployment remains second raising the minimum wage, which will be brave and realistic.
For increases in energysaid that the electricity subsidy will continue and natural gas. He stressed, however, that based on estimates, the state budget will need more support to subsidize the rate of increase in energy costs.
“We can not cover it all. “No country alone can cover this huge cost increase,” he said.
The will of the government, as he stated, is until the end of March to decide on a reinforcement of the lower income layers.
Regarding developments at the pan-European level, he said: “We do not yet know the intensity and extent of the war in Ukraine in the coming months.”
Indicatively, before the war started, the feeling was that gas prices would fall in the second quarter of the year and would remain at that level for the entire second half of 2022.
Two weeks later, the estimate is that today ‘s current prices will remain for the whole of 2022, the minister said.
In terms of inflation, the first estimates speak of 5% from 3.4% for 2022.
“Our country will have strong growth again, but if these estimates exist, Greece will also be affected,” he stressed.
Finally, Mr. Staikouras said that there is the cost of uncertainty that increases the cost of borrowing and there is also the budgetary cost, which at European level is the support of Ukraine and refugees, as well as assistance to businesses and households affected .
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