“Our target is to change everything” conservative Nea Democratia leader Antonis Samaras told ND supporters and potential voters in Athens. Structural reforms, privatization programmes, tax evasion, a more simple and fair taxation system, ‘economic amnesty’ so that money return returns to the country and the banks, securing low pensions are some of Samara’s key issues.
According to the economic plans of ND leader, VAT should be at 5%, 9% and 19%; enterprises tax not higher than 15%; citizens tax not higher than 32%; tax relief for the small investors who lost money due to PSI; tax regulations for pensioners, parents of many children and loan receivers; commitment not to cancel the 13th and 14th salary.
The leader of ND, Samaras is seen as the country’s next prime minister who will arise from the upcoming parliamentary elections on May 6th. However, public surveys show that he most probably won’t be able to form a majority government and he will be forced to coalition.
More details on Samara’s economy programme from WSJ & DowJones
Greece’s conservative New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras outlined the party’s economic policy Sunday, emphasizing measures on privatization, tax evasion, and government spending, but came up short with many of the details.
Mr. Samaras, head of the center-right New Democracy party and seen as most likely to be the country’s next prime minister, said the May 6 elections are the most critical since the return of democracy to Greece in 1974.
“Our goal is to change everything: the growth model, the way of government, not just one or the other, both,” Samaras said during a speech in Athens.
He said that in the first six weeks after the elections he will present four bills: one that will reform the country’s pension funds and benefits paid by the state; a bill to create a more simple, fair and stable tax system; a bill to minimize public costs; and an omnibus bill which will include development priorities and institutional interventions “to loosen the economy.”
The first task of the new government will be to detail by June how the country will impose some €11 billion (£14.54 billion) in further austerity measures to cover the expected budget gaps in 2013 and 2014.
These funds would mainly come by cutting “waste that exists everywhere” in the public sector, Mr. Samaras said.
On the privatization plan, Mr. Samaras said that “whatever can be privatized, will be privatized. Especially in the energy sector, privatization requires strategic planning.”
The elections will be the country’s first since its economic crisis began in late 2009. New Democracy and socialist Pasok have backed the interim government of Lucas Papademos after the fall last November of George Papandreou’s administration.
Recent polls show that the May 6 elections will produce a highly fragmented parliament comprising a large number of small left-wing and right-wing parties opposed to the current austerity program, but New Democracy and Pasok would renew their coalition government if elections were held today.
Samaras plan? There is no plan other then him becoming Khalif instead of the Khalif. Or, to put it different: “Quite how this will be achieved was not made clear, but explaining how you will rescue the land is not required during run-ups to elections. Only that you somehow will.” as Athens News put it. No not about Samaras but about Tsipras, who will restore everything and will save the country also. 😉