Today’s news lulls me sweetly. Running around the whole morning to fix issues does not exactly promote inspiration, clear thinking, cool analysis and sorting out. Today’s news is not good. As it hasn’t been in the last months. Increasing unemployment and one in five companies preparing to close. The market has dried out of cash money. Summer sales continue and yet. No customer seems to buy anything at least in the middle-class suburbs of Athens. Summer sales retail turnover dropped around 20% compared to last year. The bounced checks have flooded the market. Borrowers can not pay back their loans to banks. Some of them are jobless since at least a year.
Finance minister Evangelos Venizelos told us him that we will emerge from the crisis in mid 2014. Ie in exactly 3 years. Barring the unexpected, I mean. However nobody explains to us how we will live and survive to reach summer 2014.
At the same time the tax offices send love letter to tax payers and ask for money. After the special contribution, or levy and the trade tax on self-employed, now on target are now the owners of real estate. Last spring the government decreased the tax-free value from 400,000 euro down to 200,000. With the effect that every Greek owning four walls and a roof will be called to pay taxes. According to schema 3 in 1 : One Tax sheet, three taxes. The special tax of 2009, the taxes of 2010 and 2011. It is estimated that the average Greek will pay 1,5 month salary in extra taxes until the end of 2011. Not to mention the income taxes. Not to mention the indirect taxes.
At the same time the average Greek works double -IF he works – to earn what he was earning a year ago; and he spends double for half the period of last summer’s vacations.
No money fro taxes? No party! Sell your properties and go live under the bridge. Sadly enough, Greece does not have many bridges.
The Prime Minister is getting ready to the annual grand appearance show at the International Fair of Thessaloniki. It is the tradition of the Fair, the Greek Prime Minister -any PM of any government- , announces social measures. This September the prime minister’s basket is empty. I bet, he will talk about the importance of Greek’s sacrifices, the necessity of reforms and wishes for a long cold winter.
Even the so-called measures to combat the unemployment are provisional options in social works for 5 months and 625 euro per month. Brut.
Instead of asking more and more taxes, the Greek government could punish those who swindled public money and ask it back. For example, we hear of millions of euro paid for illegally obtain pension rights by Greeks and foreigners, of millions of euros paid for allowances to fake blinds or other fake handicapped. The government must ask this money back and send to hell the civil servants who were involved in the game. Ask the bribes back. Confiscate. Fill budgetary holes. Scare those involved in corruption.
Another example is combating tax evasion. I hear more and more stories from the islands where holiday-makers complain about not getting receipts. The Financial Crime Units had their checks in the summer and went. The tax evasion is continuing.
Oh, and I heard the story of an employee at a Chinese store telling a customer, our prices are competitive because we don’t issue receipts. HAHAHA! Even the Chinese heard this is a tax paradise!
No control mechanism, no adequate measures, no punishment. The average Greek employee will keep coming up so a part of the population enjoys a really great time. Incredible!
PS The thermometer on the balcony shows again 38 degrees in the shadow. Either the summer is extended or I need a new thermometer.
I love it when you rant…. I want more ranting… I want everybody to really get angry about no punishment, fines, jail time for the thieves and crooks that have stolen and swindled millions. Not one crook has been prosecuted – except maybe for the Nigerian selling CD’s or a knock off bag trying to earn enough for a piece of bread. Until Greece fixes the Injustice – the poor guy in the middle will have to keep paying.
we are all angry all the time, but it would be a boring blog to rant about the same topic all the time 🙂
Yes, the injustice is the root cause of all evil here.
And @KTG: Your thermometer is healty and working. We had, way outside the big city, just over 35 today. And even now it is 24, which should be under 20 by now… Summer must have found a ‘secret media fund’ or so to burn a bit harder and longer without receipt…
Oh, and if you look for a bridge? We have the oldest still passable and still used stone bridge of Europe in our backyard. So you are welcome to sleep under it. 😉
ahahaha, thanks for offering me shelter, Hope the bridge won’t fall over my head.
It stood there since 100 BC, so why should it fall down now? Hmmm, with your and my luck it probably will… Ok, you can stay in the spare room instead. 🙂