The first government meeting on the ferry tickets at Megaron Maximos was concluded without any concrete decision being made, while a meeting with representatives of the ferry association will follow later today.

The government and the prime minister personally have come under the microscope of the increased prices of ferry tickets and to what extent these prices are justified, after the reduction of fuel prices.

According to information from SKAI, the philosophy of the government’s next moves is based on the assessment of the situation and the intensification of controls.

According to the same information, solutions of the type of taxation of excess profits or the imposition of ceilings are being avoided, but the government is oriented in the direction of utilizing all the tools offered by competition law through sweeping controls.

Speaking on Tuesday morning to SKAI 100.3, the Minister of Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis, set the mood by saying that “every organized state has two possibilities, the first is the competition and the competition commission and the second is the checks for filthy lucre, there is also a special agency that has to do checks”.

“We will approach the issue based on evidence and not with populist perceptions,” Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized and added that “obviously it is not possible to create a state-owned shipping company.”

The weapon we primarily have is competition, stressed the Minister of Finance, adding that the Ministry of Shipping has the first role with specific rules. “However, competition is the first and basic answer, we must confront every cartel,” he stressed.

And Mr. Hatzidakis continued: “First of all, the citizen is on our mind, we must not forget the average person, if we do not defend him, no one will defend him.”

He added that the Greek shipping industry, due to the crisis, has gone through a period of its own crisis that created turbulence in the sector and stabilization is being attempted, but not to the detriment of passengers.