I didn’t know Greek Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras had such a bitting sense of arrogance. On Monday, January 7th 2013, he called on Greeks to be patient for another year.” At the same time he dismissed suggestions by coalition government and opposition parties that heating oil subsidy might be extended to …
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Supreme Court rules “emergency property tax” via electricity bills legal
This is the never ending confusion-story of the emergency property tax that skyrockets the electricity bills every month and forces Greeks to pay exorbitant amounts to avoid power outages. On Wednesday, Greece’s Supreme Court annulled the ban of a first instance Athens court that had ruled “the collection of emergency property …
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Greek FinMin Stournaras: Ireland & Portugal envy level of health services in Greece (lol)
No, it’s not a joke. However I thought to start the day with this story, because reading it makes you wanna live nowhere else but in Greece 🙂 Speaking at a health care conference in Athens, Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras told the audience that Ireland and Portugal seek the ways how …
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The latest on Greece’s new taxation system for employees & pensioners
After pressure by the Troika and Greek taxpayers outrage, finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras modified for one more time the three taxation categories for employees and pensioners. According to Greek media, Stournaras is due to present to today’s Eurogroup the following scheme: 22% tax rate for annual income up to 25,000 …
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Greece’s tax evaders wrapped in lists in Netherlands, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein…
Greek tax evaders with assets abroad are wrapped up in lists. After, the Swiss Lagarde-list (2,59 names) and the British Jersey-list (97 names), two more lists have reached the Finance ministry, while a third is apparently on the way. Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras revealed that two lists containing the names of …
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Emergency Property Tax: Law is the …Letter of Greek Finance Minister
Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras found a new way to make laws. By sending letters. Monday night, he sent letter to management of Public Power Company (DEH) asking the company to continue collecting the emergency property tax. Furthermore, the Finance Ministry will appeal to Supreme Court against the decision of First Instance …
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Confusion with Emergency Property Tax via Electricity Bills – Again!
For one more time confusion prevail over the emergency property tax to be paid through electricity bill issued by the Public Power Company (DEH). After an Athens court ruled that it was illegal to collect the property levy though these bills, Greek media reported that the management of DEH instructed …
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Greek Gov’t to revise new tax system after outrage over 45% tax for €26K
Following the categorical refusal of his coalition partners PASOK and Democratic Left and the strong society reactions, prime minister Antonis Samaras gave orders for a new examination of the taxation draft and thus on zero-basis, as it’s been claimed. According to Greek media, the new taxation system provisions to be …
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Greek FimMin: “Deal Was 10 Billion Euro Away”
Greece and its lenders appear to be edging toward a formula that would make the crisis-stricken country’s debt sustainable, with Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras suggesting on Thursday that only 10 billion euros stood in the way of a deal. Technical experts on the Euro Working Group continued to crunch the …
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Eurogroup: Dirty Games with Greek Bailout Tranche
Greek Parliament adopted the inhuman austerity bill and the sharp-cuts budget 2013. Two main preconditions for the debt-ridden country to receive the 31-billion-euro bailout tranche. Just recently, Prime minister Antonis Samaras had claimed, that the state has money until November 16th 2012. However Greece’s lenders do not seem willing to …
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Greek FinMin Exempts from Pension Cuts People with 80% Disability
In a last minute action and after pressure from coalition partner PASOK, Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras exempted from pension cuts people with 80% disability. MP Koukoulopoulos had threatened to down vote the austerity package bill, should there be no exception for the heavily disabled. Stournaras said that the 30 million …
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UPD: Greek media on strike over health/pension funds, Oct 31/2012
Greek media went on 24-hour strike on Wednesday at 6 a.m. after Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras decided in a surprise move to integrate journalists’ insurance funds into the broke national health organization EOPPY. This decision caused strong reactions in the Greek parliament when the amendment was announced as part of the …
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Greek FinMin Stournaras Rushed to Hospital
Greek Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras was rushed to hospital on Thursday morning after he suddenly fell uneasy. According to Greek media, doctors diagnosed ‘overworking’ and a virus infection. Stournaras did not stay in the hospital. Doctors advised him to take a day off. A discussion in the parliament scheduled for …
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Greek FinMin: “People Will Starve Without Bailout Tranche”
He is getting more and more dramatic every time he speaks in the Greek Parliament. Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras does not miss a chance to praise the benefits of the upcoming austerity measures package – or tsunami.” The cost for the country would be infinite, if we do not take the …
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Athens: Protesters Boo and “Fire” Vulgar Insults at the Troika (video)
Members of Independent Greeks party prepared a hot welcome with boos and vulgar insults to members of the Troika on Monday in Athens. The technical team of the country’es lenders from IMF, EU and ECB had an appointment with Greek Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras. But they protesters had gathered much earlier outside …
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Greek Coalition Leaders Reached Basic Agreement on €11.5 Billion Package
After three hours of consultations, the three political leaders of Greece coalition government managed to reach a basic agreement on the 11-billion-euro cuts-package and the additional 3-billion-euro tax tsunami. Short after the meeting, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras told the media, that the heads of the three coalition government parties had reached a “basic …
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Greek Coalition Leaders Meet to Finalize New Austerity Package
Greek coalition government partners Antonis Samaras, Evangelos Venizelos and Fotis Kouvelis meet on Thursday morning to finalize the austerity package of 11.5+2 billion euro for the years 2013-2014. While the three leaders have agreed on main cuts there are some measures that meet the objection of Venizelos (PASOK) and Kouvelis (Democratic Left), …
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How Much Extra Money Would Greece Need? “15 Billion Euro” says Greek FinMIn
How much additional money Greeks need, should the bailout program be extended for two years? On Monday, German weekly DER SPIEGLE claimed that the Greek budget shortfall was 20 billion euro. On Tuesday, German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung claimed the shortfall is even bigger and ‘stamped’ the shocking number: 30 billion …
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Greek FinMin Got a New Idea: Poll Tax of 150 EUR on the Way…
And when you think, you’ve seen everything, Greece’s Finance Ministry is always good for surprises – under the Troika pressure, of course… Finance Ministry reportedly surprised coalition governemtn partners Venizelos (PASOK ) and Kouvelis (Democratic Left) during their meeting with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Thursday: A poll tax of minimum 150 euro. Imposed to whom? …
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Athens: Protesters Boo FinMin, Riot Police Fires Tear Gas Against Protesting Policemen
This that did not happened a couple of weeks ago, occurred on Thursday morning. Riot Police fired tear gas against protesting policemen, firefighters and coastal guards. Riot Police vs Protesting Police According to Greek media, the unionists had formed a human chain outside the Maximos Mansion in order to prevent …
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