Parliament: The opposition for the first measures of Thessaloniki – Answer Staikouras

“And if the citizens get a euro, we will vote in favor”, is the position formulated by the parliamentary representative of SYRIZA-PS, Nikos Pappas, during the discussion in the Plenary of the amendment for the implementation of part of the Prime Minister’s announcements in the TIF. The official opposition, however, did not fail to accuse the government that today, “what it is giving are mirrors to the natives”, as typically stated by SYRIZA-PS rapporteur Sultana Eleftheriadou.

“It is obvious that the government continues on the beaten track. He insists on subsidizing accuracy. It subsidizes the filthy lucre”, commented the SYRIZA parliamentary representative Nikos Pappas, referring to the subsidy for electricity and added, addressing the government: “In any case, we, and citizens and businesses get a euro, we will vote in favor. But we would like you to tell us, since you do not choose either a reduction of the VAT or a reduction of the VAT, the Energy Transition Fund that you say will bear the brunt of the subsidies, how much does PPC contribute to it? Because PPC has become the pioneer of accuracy, because what it contributes is rather passed on to the tariffs”.

In relation to the pretense fee, Nikos Pappas underlined that the self-employed are exempt and observed that while the government had initially promised that those who increase the number of their employees would benefit, it now appears that they can benefit if they increase the hours of their employees.

With regard to the provisions for the Public SAs, the SYRIZA parliamentary representative underlined that “apparently, the privatization of the urban transport project is expanding, although the government has not made any intervention to buy buses”.

“The draft law and the amendment do not include all TIF interventions. Every time we are ready, we will legislate”, said Finance Minister Christos Staikouras and pointed out that, for example, the aid of 500 million euros to the low pensioners and vulnerable social groups for the end of the year has not yet been legislated. Likewise, the government has not proceeded to increase the heating allowance, which would cover more citizens.

Referring to the measures to mitigate energy costs, the finance minister insisted that out of the total package of 12.4 billion, fiscal measures are 4.2 billion, “which means that about 8 billion comes from the providers”. Mr. Staikouras said that the model legislated by the government in the summer is being legislated by Germany.

As SYRIZA observed that the government does not use the toolbox proposed by the European Commission and used by other countries, the Minister of Finance submitted the letter of the competent commissioner according to which, the fuel interventions should be targeted at those who have more need.

“We take the increased tax revenues on fuel – relatively reduced but a little reduced on the Social Security Tax, increased on the VAT – and we give them targeted to those who need them the most. You suggest we help them all. The cost of the measure you are talking about is 1.5 billion euros. Where will we find this money?”, said Mr. Staikouras and also commented on the SYRIZA program, as presented to the TIF: “I will only comment on one point. You say with ease that you will return pensioners’ retroactives. And to show that you have an idea of ​​the difficulty, you say that you will give them retroactively, in three installments, starting with 830 million in 2023. I guess you should ask your colleagues who have been through the Treasury. Whether it’s three installments, whether it’s ten installments, whether it’s fifty installments, in 2023 you have to write a 2.5 billion deficit. Find another 2.5 billion euros, to understand how out of place and time the Thessaloniki program is.”

Earlier, PASOK-KINAL rapporteur Kostas Skandalidis referred to the supplementary budget and the amendment with part of the measures announced by the prime minister at the TIF. “The Budget, which becomes a leaf and a feather, does not really help the normal development process that should be foreseen through it. We are voting to complete the Budget out of necessity, because that is how it has to be done – I want to remind you, however, to keep this criticism in mind for the budget you are going to submit this year as well”, said Kostas Skandalidis, addressing the government.

In relation to the amendment that includes some of the Thessaloniki measures, Mr. Skandalidis said, regarding PASOK’s position: “Our line is that whatever favors the workers, whatever favors the vulnerable, we vote positive”.

“New Democracy and SYRIZA are indulging in these days, from the podium of the International Exhibition of Thessaloniki, in a provocative manner in an auction of promises, at a time when households in the winter will experience – for the first time, after many decades – a massive lack of heating, electricity outages, while shortages of essential goods and exorbitant prices, which are the two sides of the same coin, will multiply”, commented KKE rapporteur Manolis Syntyhakis and added: “The amendment of the government, which was tabled last night , for the measures of the International Exhibition of Thessaloniki – announced by the prime minister, part of them – does not change in any way the prescribed choice of support for business groups”.

“Growth based mainly on subsidies, given with state loans, does not produce wealth, it does not produce anything. It fuels inflation, leads to bankruptcy, when conditions suddenly change, something very likely for 2023”, said the rapporteur of the Hellenic Solution, Vassilis Viliardos.

“You are talking about subsidies to households and dealing with energy precision, when what you are doing is giving double the profits of what you are taking to the providers, who are the same as the producers. That’s where the scam is. And you give them the 1.7 billion”, commented MeRA25 rapporteur Kriton Arsenis.

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