Greece’s four systemic banks released a proposal to help vulnerable borrowers meet their monthly installments, outlining the plan and their contribution to the Greek economy in a joint statement on Thursday. The move follows meetings with Finance Minister Christos Staikouras, who along with the PM, has pressured banks to assume …
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Greek banks get deadline to increase/decrease rates for deposits/loans
Finance Minister Christos Staikouras gave the banks 10 days to proceed “immediately and bravely” with an increase in interest rates on deposits and a reduction in interest rates on new loans. He described the 4.86% interest rate on new loans in October as “unacceptable.” Speaking to Skai TV on Saturday, …
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FinMin Staikouras puts pressure on Greek banks to support debtors, depositors
Greek banks must come up with proposals to actively support citizens who face a lot of financial pressures due to high inflation and the rise in the cost of money, Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras told them on Thursday, giving bankers a two-week deadline to do so. According to a …
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Gov.gr Wallet IDs extended to banks, phone companies
Greek citizens will have the option to use the Gov.gr Wallet instead of their IDs at all banks and financial firms, as well as telephone companies, as of November 1, based on a Joint Ministerial Decision issued on October 28. The process for verifying the authenticity of digital documents will …
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ECB makes large interest rate hike, bank deposits at 1.5%
The European Central Bank piled on another outsized interest rate hike aimed at squelching out-of-control inflation, increasing rates Thursday at the fastest pace in the euro currency’s history and raising questions about how far the bank intends to go with the threat of recession looming over the economy. The 25-member …
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Corinth Canal to reopen for shipping in July following repair works
The Corinth Canal will reopen for ships in July, the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations SA (HCAP) said on Wednesday. The reopening will be temporary, though, over the summer and will shut down again for a few months in autumn in order to complete repair works and stabilize the …
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Agricultural Minister urges banks to increase funding of primary sector investments
Greece’s Agricultural Minister has urged banks to increase the funding of primary sector investments. Speaking at the annual AgriBusiness International Forum in Athens, Agriculture Development & Food Minister Spilios Livanos told the banking sector that it should assume its responsibilities. “It would be a historic mistake if the banking system …
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Greece exposed to increased risks from climate change, says ECB-ESRB report
Banks in Greece, Spain and Portugal face increased risks from the climate change, according to a joint report by the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) published on July 1. Greece and other southern EU countries are exposed to increased risks, on the one hand …
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Household and corporate deposits soar during Greece’s lockdown
Household and corporate deposits jumped 19.6 billion euros during the pandemic, showing that the freeze on consumption combined with the state support measures served as a safety cushion for liquidity in the private sector. The additional cash flow during the successive lockdowns will be the driving force behind the economy’s …
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Obama’s memoirs: The Greek debt crisis, German and French banks
In his memoirs, “A Promised Land,” former Us President Barack Obama makes also some reference to the Greek debt crisis and the way in which the major European powers chose to deal with the situation. In his memoir that was released on Tuesday, Obama writes: “I noticed that they rarely …
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Greek banks extend suspension of loan payments for businesses & individuals
Greek banks, members of the Hellenic Bank Association, on Tuesday announced the extension of measures to support enterprises and individuals hit directly and indirectly by the pandemic crisis and of a moratorium on debt payments until December 31, 2020. In an announcement, the banks said they remained steadfast on the …
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Greek banks raise limit for contactless card payments without PIN
The Hellenic Association of Banks announced on Thursday that the banks increase the limit for contactless payments with debit, credit cards and prepaid cards without using PIN. The limit is raised from 25 euros today to 50 euros. The measure will be implemented from Monday, March 30 until Sunday May …
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Greek Banks restrict several transactions at the counter due to COVID-19, lockdown
The Hellenic Association of Banks has decided to impose a series of measures to restrict contact between customers and the staff of the banking sector. The Association urges customers to make use of e-banking and their credit or debit cards at ATMs, as several trasnactions are suspended at the counters …
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Competition watchdog confirms raids to banks, Bank Association
Greece’s Competition Committee, an independent authortity, confirmed on Friday that it had raided all the country’s major banks a day earlier as part of an investigation into collaboration between lenders. Inspectors raided the head offices of National, Piraeus, Alpha, Attica and Eurobank, along with the offices of the Greek bank …
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Greek banks withdraw part of the extra charges for customer services
One after the other, the four Greek systemic banks announced the withdrawal of part of the extra charges for customer services that used to be free of charge. The National Bank, the Piraeus Bank, the Alpha Bank and the Eurobank declared that they will not charge a fee for the …
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Greek banks may review their new extra charges policies for transactions
Greek bankers have committed themselves to review their extra charges policies on a series of transactions following a meeting with Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on Thursday. Citing government sources, media report that the prime minister told bankers that the government cannot accept extra charges on digital and other bank transactions, …
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All Greek banks to implement extra charges for services free until now
Greek banks will impose charges on services that used to be free of charge until now. The charges on virtually all their services and customers’ transactions are an effort to offset their losses from interest rates taking, which have been in constant decline over the last few years, media report. …
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Moody’s: Thomas Cook liquidation is “credit negative” for Greek, Cypriot banks
The collapse of British tour operator Thomas Cook is “credit negative” for Greek and Cypriot banks because it reduces the cash flow of businesses in the tourism sectors of these countries, ratings agency Moody’s said in a report on Thursday. “The compulsory liquidation of Thomas Cook and the resultant decline …
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Project Hercules: Gov’t to help Greek banks with €9billion
Greece plans to provide as much as 9 billion euros in state guarantees to help its banks reduce a mountain of soured debt weighing on their balance sheets, Bloomberg and Handelsblatt report. The money will be given from the “buffer” of nearly 40 billion euros from taxpayers money. Greek banks …
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Hellinikon Investment: Mammoth loan from recapitalized Greek banks
A “mammoth” bank loan is still due before the Hellinikon investment project can proceed with works after it overcomes the last bureaucratic hurdles and all decisions by ministries and other public bodies give the green light. The Hellenic Development consortium consists of Lamda Development, China’s Fosun and Abu Dhabi’s Eagle …
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