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Greek households reduced their heating oil consumption by 46.1 percent in 2013 compared to 2012 due to the hike in the special consumption tax, according to data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority’s Family Budgets Survey.The ELSTAT survey also showed that average monthly spending per household dropped 7.8 percent year-on-year, while a comparison with 2009 shows a 31.3 percent decline. Average monthly spending amounted to 1,509.39 euros, against about 1,627 euros in 2012.
The government will only reduce the so-called solidarity tax by 30 percent and not 50 percent for 2015, as the Finance Ministry fears that the higher fiscal costs will run into opposition from the country’s creditors, known as the troika.
Nerit, the new Greek state broadcaster that the government set up to replace what it said was its corrupt and wasteful predecessor ERT, has been plunged into another crisis following the resignations of its two top executives, which the main opposition claims is a result of the political interference at the station.Nerit chairman and CEO Antonis Makrydimitris stepped down on Thursday, along with his deputy Rudolph Moronis, only four months after Nerit’s first chairman, George Prokopakis, was replaced two days after the station went on air.In a message posted to Facebook some hours before his resignation, Moronis gave strong indications that Nerit’s independence was being compromised.“If you declare that you want to create something independent, impartial and of good quality but you don’t mean it, don’t assign the job to someone who does,” he wrote.
Greece made clear Friday that the country has not given up its claim to World War II reparations from Germany, adding however that officials are anticipating two reports on the matter.“We are, for the time being, awaiting the conclusions of the cross-party committee and the recommendation by the State’s Legal Council,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Constantinos Koutras said. Both reports are still pending.His comments came a day after Germany’s Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Roth denied that Berlin owes Greece, or any other nation, anything for WWII.
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Topic: 13/09/14 (Read 1627 times)
