A 3.1% increase in pensions in 2024 will be foreseen in the draft Budget that will be submitted to the Parliament on Monday, as revealed by the Minister of National Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis.

Speaking to ANT1, Mr. Hatzidakis noted that “the increases will be 3.1% because inflation is also lower than last year”, recalling that the amount of increase in pensions is determined by the rate of growth and inflation.

Regarding accuracy and measures to support citizens, the Minister of National Economy and Finance said, among other things, that in Greece “we have the third lowest inflation in the EU. The minimum wage was in 18th place, out of the 22 in the EU that they have a similar measure and it has gone to 13th place”.

“We have the ‘Household Basket’, we have the Market Pass, we have the minimum wage increase, there is income support against punctuality and a series of other interventions that will have the effect of strengthening households,” said Mr. Hatzidakis, who he noted that “we have the increase after 14 years for civil servants, an average of 1476 euros per employee. We have the three years in the private sector, the increases in the minimum wage, it is the new increases for pensioners, it is the tax-free for families. Let’s go to another mix of politics.”

With regards to inflation, he pointed out that it is decreasing and that especially in food inflation “there is a de-escalation compared to the previous months, the rate of increase is beginning to be limited”.

Regarding heating oil, Mr. Hatzidakis said that “compared to last year, the data shows that the price is at the same levels and a little lower. These are our estimates. There is again the heating allowance which will be increased for families with children”.

He ruled out the possibility of giving a subsidy at the pump for heating oil, stressing that “in the European Union there is a limitation of the horizontal subsidies given due to the energy crisis”

The Minister of National Economy and Finance pointed out that despite the disasters and theomen, “the Budget overperforms, just as the economy also overperforms. Thanks to the overall effort of the government, Greece is the second fastest growing in Europe, has increased investments and created 300,000 jobs since 2019. Greece is a “window of opportunity”, also due to political stability”.

Regarding the uproar regarding changes in the taxation of freelancers, the Minister of National Economy and Finance noted that “There has never been an issue with freelancers. There is an issue with tax evasion, there is an issue of intersections and detection of tax evasion and that there cannot be two classes of citizens”.

Asked if the new fee will apply to accommodation, and to the hotels of Pelion, which is suffering from the consequences of bad weather, Mr. Hatzidakis replied that “it is a Climate Change Fee and it is true that it has been announced by the Government”.