Whether they want it or not, whether they can afford it or not, employees and pensioners, self-employed and traders paid millions of euro in the last two years. The so-called “solidarity levy” was imposed by the Greek finance ministry in order to combat the unemployment. It was thought to be flowing to “Employment Agency” (OAEE) to finance several short-term programs for jobless and to secure the granting unemployment allowance – currently at 360 euro per month for a total duration of 12 months.
“OAEE should have received 300 million euro per year from the solidarity levy, but it did not,” Ilias Kikilias, general director of OAEE wrote in a report, adding “how levy contributions have been utilized, I don’t know. It’s an issue of the Finance Ministry.”
OAEE receives funding of 500 million euro annually from the state budget to cover the payment of unemployment allowance.
So where did the extra money from the solidarity levy go?
We may know more during the day, because government politicians appearing in morning media programs declared, they had no idea about the issue…
PS I wouldn’t wonder, if the 600 million euro went for solidarity with the banks of Greece’s lenders.
And the rich get richer and the poor get poorer
Amen!
I warned you this would happen.
I followed your advice and refused to pay solidarity tax. Oh wait! they took it form my pocket without asking.
600 Million slush fund for the new big handouts in the run-up to new elections