“You are scientists in a lie both regarding PPC and regarding EFKA”, said the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Kostis Hatzidakis, responding -on behalf of the government- to the leader of the official opposition, Alexis Tsipras during the second day of the discussion of the bill for the modernization of EFKA in the Plenary Session of the Parliament.
“You were responsible for the breakdown of PPC and you owe explanations. The share price of the Company was 7 euros in 2014 and you delivered it at 1 euro. “With a report of the chartered accountant, the SYRIZA administration itself had agreed that if the extraordinary measures taken on September 23, 2019 were not taken, PPC would close!”, Stressed Mr. Hatzidakis.
“And really, if we had let things develop without doing anything, how would PPC deal with the international crisis? It is obvious that a bankrupt store could do nothing. However, because PPC is profitable – precisely thanks to the measures we took – it was able to support households with discounts of 600 million euros !. But you are launching mydras for the profitability of PPC. Do not you see that you are undoing yourself? If the administration fails as you say, how in the good has profit been achieved? “And without profit, how will you make discounts?” He added.
“You use political cafe arguments for the energy crisis”
“You are trying to connect the international energy crisis with the rescue of PPC in the autumn of 2019 with arguments of a political cafe”, said the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, addressing the president of SYRIZA who referred to his statements – as Minister of Environment and Energy – of electricity in the period 2019-2020 to blame the government for the recent increases. “Is there a prophet who could predict the international gas crisis that led to a jump in wholesale electricity prices in all European countries?” What does this have to do with the government’s energy policy? ” asked Mr. Hatzidakis.
Regarding Mr. Tsipras’ criticism of the further privatization of PPC, Mr. Hatzidakis reminded that the SYRIZA government had agreed with the creditors the sale of 17% of PPC at about 1/20 of the price secured under the recent share capital increase of the Company. “Did you sign the same policy, we get multiple times what you agreed and you ask for the change? “If this is not political audacity and hypocrisy, then what is?”
Mr. Hatzidakis also accused the accusations regarding the wholesale and retail price of electricity of hypocrisy. “No one denies that there are problems with the wholesale price of electricity over time. The way out is the smooth operation of the free electricity market, the further penetration of RES on market terms and the strengthening of interconnections with neighboring countries. But the retail price of electricity is the seventh cheapest in Europe. Expensive of course, because it has risen internationally. “But SYRIZA is not allowed to continue this treatise of lies,” commented Mr. Hatzidakis, noting the official opposition’s obsession with “myths about lignite”, ignoring the fact that the price of CO2 emission allowances is from 25-30 euros / tonne. 2019 is now moving at 90 euros / ton, with unbearable costs for PPC.
He added that “even in the rise in gas prices, the cost of gas was completely comparable to the cost of lignite. PPC “enters” and now 200 million euros per year due to lignite “΄.
Responding to the criticism of the leader of the official opposition for the golden boys in PPC (and EFKA), Mr. Hatzidakis presented specific data on the salaries of the bank administrations under the SYRIZA government – which, as he said, “were getting higher in your day salaries from those received by the current management of PPC “. He also presented data on the salaries of the management of the Superfund and the management of IPTO during SYRIZA. “If the current PPC administration is golden boys, what are all those to whom you gave corresponding salaries?”, He wondered, again attributing political hypocrisy to the leader of the official opposition on this issue.
Pensions and EFKA
Turning to the issues concerning the bill for EFKA, Mr. Hatzidakis presented -once again- the official data that prove the increase of decisions for main pensions (from 123,000 in 2019 to 224,000 in 2021) and the reduction of overdue debts to citizens from 486 million euros in the summer of 2019 to 239 million euros last December. “If you do not accept what the official data of the state says, what the budget says, what the European Union accepts is your problem. Because when reality does not suit you, so much the worse for reality itself! “
“Because Mr. Tsipras exploded with the injustices that this government allegedly does to the insured and even spoke of a fiasco in relation to the defeats that the government has allegedly suffered in the Council of State, I will remind him of the Katrougalos law that was declared unconstitutional for many different issues from the SC. “In the house of the hanged man, they do not talk about a rope!”, Stressed Mr. Hatzidakis, recalling the 17 pension cuts made by the SYRIZA-ANEL government during its term. “Now you have the sudden sensitivity for retirees? 17 different cuts! There is a similar hypocrisy for the system of supplementary pensions, the individual piggy banks that lead, based on the data we have from other countries, to significantly higher supplementary pensions for young people, from 40% to 70% according to its comparative data. OECD. You are also critical of this! “
Closing his position, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs reminded the main axes of the bill that aims to address on a permanent basis the pathogenesis of EFKA, the most problematic Public Organization. “We are dealing with a multi-injured person who needs a radical, holistic and global intervention. That is why we are intervening in the management team, trying to attract executives from EFKA and from the Public and the private sector, with three-year contracts and with the possibility of renewal once. Executives will come and accept the invitation to radically reorganize the Organization. At the same time, we introduce the same logic in the following levels, through a philosophy of motivation and controls. Productivity incentives for those who receive higher pensions, for those who serve more citizens. And controls for those who do not serve the citizens and ultimately do not do their job. Because there can be no regime of leveling and impunity. I refuse to adhere to the doctrine of the “abbot of the Holy State”. Stay with the dogmas and the abbots. We give you the unions, the trade unionists and the bureaucracy. “We are with the many, as we have a duty to defend the defenseless insured!”, Concluded Mr. Hatzidakis.
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