“The government and the prime minister cannot fool the farmers again by taking them for granted” emphasizes the head of the Department for Rural Development and Food and MP for Larisa of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance Mr. Vassilis Kokkalis, on the occasion of today’s admission by Mr. Mitsotakis himself that while the announcement for the suspension of electricity cuts to flood-affected farmers was made last November, it has not yet been voted by the parliament, with the result that 191 farmers and breeders in Thessaly have already been left without electricity.

Specifically, Mr. Kokkalis states that “after it was revealed a week ago that DEDDIE cut off the electricity to 191 flood-affected farmers in Thessaly, following a question I submitted to the Ministry of Rural Development and after three months had passed since the initial announcement, the government is forced to table the self-explanatory amendment in parliament. In fact, this morning in his radio interview, the prime minister himself cynically admitted that “the farmers in Thessaly are right to complain about the delay in the electricity amendment”!

But imagine what would happen if we did not exercise parliamentary control as the official opposition, forcing DEDDIE to provide these revealing facts. As the managing director himself admitted in the relevant document, 823 more flood-affected farmers were in line to have their electricity cut off!
As SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, we request that the amendment apply to the entire country, in all agricultural and livestock holdings, and we propose the establishment of rural electricity and the issuance of rural electricity bills twice a year, according to the standards of the 2018 regulation, taking considering the obvious, that farmers do not have a monthly income!
It is obvious that the government, under the pressure of the agricultural blocs, is trying with communication maneuvers, giving the obvious, to fool the farmers”, adds Mr. Kokkalis.

SIX MEASURES TO REDUCE PRODUCTION COSTS
In addition, the former Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food from Larissa, recalls the six measures of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance to reduce production costs in the primary sector, which are as follows:
1. Establishment of non-payment of the Special Consumption Tax on agricultural oil for all producers.
2. Reducing the price of electricity through the imposition of a ceiling.
3. Strengthening the purchase of animal feed and fertilizers for as long as the precision crisis lasts.
4. Reduction of VAT on agricultural supplies.
5. Reduction of VAT on food to the lowest rate.
6. Financing – Liquidity with the granting of microcredits up to
25,000 euros.