Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a large increase in the budget of the Marietta Giannakou program for the renovation and upgrading of public schools.

The significant expansion of the program will be implemented through an additional donation of 300 million euros, in a depth of three years, out of the four systemic banks, which is added to the 100 million they have already offered, resulting in their total contribution to 400 million euros, as it was known during a meeting with the Greek Prime Minister. Alpha Bank Managing Director Vasilis Psaltis, EUROBANK CEO Fokion Karavia, National Bank Managing Director Pavlos Mylonas and Piraeus Bank Managing Director Christos Megalou.

This development, coupled with the € 250 million resources available from the Public Investment Program, increases the overall budget for school interventions to 650 million euros, with the aim of implementing projects in more than 2,500 school units.

The first cycle of nouns renovation and upgrading projects, which concerns 431 school units, will be completed before the start of the next school year.

The prime minister thanked the four banking institutions for their decision to multiply their contribution to the implementation of the Marietta Giannakou program.

The meeting highlighted the particularly effective cooperation between the state and the private sector, which was possible to rapidly execute projects in sports facilities, hygiene and indoor areas of all schools that joined the first round of Marietta Giannakou, in a few months.

The importance of the program for thousands of students, parents and local communities, especially for children and teachers with disabilities, was also emphasized, given that the construction of accessibility infrastructure is an integral part of the work in all schools.

At the end of the meeting, the prime minister said: “The Marietta Giannakou program is an extremely successful example of public and private partnership for good.

When we started planning it, we made the first communications and then we warmly thanked you for the first extremely kind sponsorship of 100 million euros, which I am glad to find that it was implemented exactly as it was designed.

We had planned to renovate 431 schools, which will be delivered to students, teachers and teachers with the start of the school year, 431 schools will be delivered in a few days from now. And we couldn’t have achieved it without the courtesy of the four systemic banks.

I would like to convey to you again my experiences, which I think will be much more intense when the schools open the schools, from many areas of the country where they are being carried out, at the moment we are still talking, work on the renovation of schools.

New toilets, paints, accessibility to children, but also to teachers and teachers with disabilities and of course reconstruction of courtyards. Basketball, volleyball, football stadiums, which we all know are in the courtyards of the schools that are repaired are new.

Each school is a “cell” of joy and knowledge for the local community and so we must deal with it and so I want to express my satisfaction with the fact that the four Greek banks are also committed to the next year, but with a horizon, but we have a corresponding donation for the next three years.

This gives us a power of fire, worth 400 million from the private sector, to which another 200 million will be added from the Public Investment Program, so that we can repair thousands of schools within the next three years.

And I think this emblematic intervention will really give joy and satisfaction to tens of thousands of students who will now be able to go to schools, which will meet the basic safety and dignity standards.

That is why I think this program is, I would say, emblematic of other initiatives that the state can launch with the private sector as a whole, because if we add our strengths we can do very great things.

So again thank you for this very kind additional and very significant additional sponsorship. We guarantee that as we have worked greatly to implement the first phase of the program, we will do the same so that every year we can deliver a significant number of Greek schools every year. “

The President of the Hellenic Banking Association, Gikas Chardouvelis, said: “Mr. Prime Minister, on behalf of all, I would like to thank you for our today’s meeting and the time you have with us.

Alpha Bank, Eurobank, the National Bank and Piraeus Bank, with a sense of responsibility to the invitation of the state, contributed 100m euros last year to the “Marietta Giannakou” flagship program.

Today we are very pleased with the outcome of this contribution: 430 schools across the country have been renovated and welcomed in a few days thousands of students and teachers in a better environment.

This was our first step, the circle remains open. CEO, Mr. Vasilis Psaltis, Fokion Karavia, Pavlos Mylonas and Christos Megalou decided that the four systemic banks also contribute to the program 100m euros this year, thereby raising the total bid of two years to 200m euros.

This is the largest corporate social responsibility initiative ever implemented in our country. It is our common belief that investing in education is an investment in the foundations of progress for the whole country, all citizens.

On the occasion of our meeting today, I would like to emphasize that the Greek banks have social responsibility as their compass. It is no coincidence that whenever a great or emergency occurs, banks are the first body to respond to the state’s call. And they always contribute directly, substantially, effectively and on a large scale.

In summary, from the many relevant initiatives of recent years, I distinguish sponsorships for fire protection actions, the donation of 50m euros to Thessaly and the donation to the Pain Lyceum, which is a symbol of Hellenism in Constantinople.

These initiatives are developed in parallel with our consistent support of the Greek economy. It is indicative that based on the latest data from the European Central Bank for June, the annual rate of credit expansion in Greece was the second highest in the eurozone, and reached 18%.

The Greek banking system is powerful and durable, as the results of the recent stress tests of the EBA have shown, it supports the economy, as credit expansion shows and has gained first place in corporate social offering.

To date, in good cooperation with the relevant ministries and the “KAT”, we have implemented the first phase of the “Marietta Giannakou” program. And we are committed to continuing our same excellent cooperation until the completion of the whole cycle of our offer. “

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of Education, Religions and Sports Sofia Zacharakis, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas Dimas.