“We continue to intervene within the limits of the country’s fiscal capabilities. We have secured these possibilities until now – and we continue to create them – through development,” Mr. Bratakos pointed out in his speech, referring to the government’s interventions to ease households and businesses, both during the pandemic and and for dealing with the energy crisis, but also in the tax reductions made in previous years or planned for the next period.
The government will continue, for as long as necessary, to intervene for the protection of the market and society, with targeted and responsible measures, said Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Yiannis Bratakos, addressing the keynote speech at the established dinner of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Industry (BETH) for the new year, where a videotaped speech by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schina, was shown.
“We continue to intervene within the limits of the country’s fiscal capabilities. We have secured these possibilities until now – and we continue to create them – through development,” Mr. Bratakos pointed out in his speech, referring to the government’s interventions to ease households and businesses, both during the pandemic and and for dealing with the energy crisis, but also in the tax reductions made in previous years or planned for the next period.
“We supported and continue to support small and medium-sized businesses against the effects of the energy crisis. From the beginning of 2022, we have allocated approximately 8 billion euros to subsidize the accounts of households and businesses. These subsidies absorb 80% of the increase in very small and medium-sized enterprises,” said the deputy minister.
Responding to the opposition official’s criticism regarding allowances, Mr. Bratakos noted that “they will always promise more, without saying a word about how they will finance them”, predicting that “as we move towards the elections, the promises will multiply”.
“We will not enter into this logic. It is our obligation to support society in difficult times. We do and we will continue. But every euro that we direct to extraordinary benefits, to tax reliefs, to income support, is measured and calculated”, he stressed.
He also underlined that with any measures taken to support society and entrepreneurship “we do not deviate from our goal of a primary surplus in 2023” and “we do not risk the national goal of obtaining investment grade”.
Speaking about the private initiative, he pointed out that “businesses are the ones that fuel the development of the place”, as “they are the ones that create jobs, incomes and national wealth, so that it can be shared in society”.
Concluding his speech and referring to the election period, Mr. Bratakos emphasized that “this year we will be asked to decide whether we will continue to move forward, or whether we will turn back – to a past that we would all like to forget, we will decide whether the country will remain on a path of development, based on the private initiative and creativity of the Greeks, if we remain on the path of seriousness and perspective or if we return to frivolity and adventurism”.
The vice-president of the European Commission, responsible for the Promotion of the European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, in his video message – he was to be the keynote speaker at the BETH dinner, but had to go to Sweden – referred to the common management policy achieved by European Union, amid the global crises of recent years. Among other things, he referred to the common European policy on vaccines, the mobility certificate, the fiscal support of the member states, the program to boost employment and support the labor market, as well as the emblematic, as he described it, Recovery Fund.
As far as the Greek economy is concerned, he expressed the belief that it is “moving on a stable trajectory and on solid rails”, having large funds available for investments and being now completely free from fiscal restrictions.
Regarding the new European year, he pointed out that this is dedicated to skills, to initiatives to support, upgrade and grant new skills, which, as he explained, “will solve important problems for businesses”.
The deputy minister of the interior (Macedonia-Thrace), Stavros Kalafatis, addressed the event, who referred to the government’s work to support citizens against the energy crisis and inflation. “In the face of the uncertainty and dangers that the new year holds, our country is increasingly strong […] it can ensure growth rates, generate new wealth”, he said and referred to the agenda of 30 projects for Thessaloniki and Northern Greece.
The Regional Governor of Central Macedonia Apostolos Tzitzikostas referred to the value of the consultation of the central administration and self-administration with the people of the real economy “who live the daily problems, the difficulties and often have the solutions for these problems”.
The Mayor of Thessaloniki, Konstantinos Zervas, pointed out that “we have invested not only in good relations with the chamber institutions but in the essential relationship with them”, as “the only recipe to overcome crises is cooperation”.
The president of BETH Anastasios Kapnopolis wished 2023 to be a year of growth, prosperity and perspective and asked the government to continue the targeted interventions to support Greek households and businesses.
The event was attended by – among others – MPs Kostas Giulekas, Elena Rapti, Theodoros Karaoglou, Anna Efthymiou, Katerina Notopoulou Sokratis Famellos, George Arvanitidis, while the cake “fell” to Mr. Bratakos.
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