Farmers are angry about their taxation and their social security contributions. And they launch protests across the country. Hundreds of tractors moved on Monday morning to block highway and national roads in an effort to put pressure on the government to take back the measures that mean economic death.
Farmers from Tyrnavos, Central Greece, are expected to set the first blockade Monday noon, farmers from Karditsa, Trikala, Farsala, Larisa have scheduled to go out on the streets on Thursday.
Tyrnavos farmers’ blockades Jan 6 2017
Farmers moved their tractors to highway spots in Heraklion, Crete, already Monday morning
Unionists have told media that they “seek breaths for life” and they will push for reduction of production cost. change of the new tax and social security contributions.
The timing for the farmers’ protests is especially bad for the government that is engaged in critical negotiations with lenders to conclude the second program review and has little space to satisfy some of their demands.
However, the Minister for Rural Development said that the government is considering the reduction of Value Added Tax on agricultural supplies as well as the reduction of the Special Consumption Fee on wine. Minister Vaggelis Apostolou said further “we have paid €3.7 billion in 2016, this is the largest amount given as aid to agriculture in the last twenty years.”
The protests and the blockades are to take place from South on the island of Crete and Peloponnese to the North in Central and East Macedonia and from East mainland like Magnisia to the West like Aitoloakarnania and Epirus.
Farmers protest may disturb traffic on Greece’s highways and national roads.
