New support measures for society were announced by the Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis.
“There will be room for new measures; that’s a given—I can tell you that right now. There will be fiscal space, and there will also be concrete support for society,” he specifically said in an interview he gave on the program “Morning Interventions” on the Patras radio station MAX FM 93.4.
As he said, “we are discussing the overall fiscal space—that is, the amount and the mix of specific measures that the prime minister will announce (editor’s note: at the TIF). But I can tell you from the outset that there will be room, there will be interventions, and there will be measures in this general direction that we are discussing.” Meanwhile, with the so-called “energy escape clause”, there are also additional measures specifically targeted at energy investments. This, he added, is a separate part of the announcements the prime minister will make at the Thessaloniki International Fair.
A battle on three fronts, to be precise
When asked about the issue of inflation, Mr. Pierrakakis stated that the “battle” is being waged on three fronts: Increasing incomes, reducing tax and social security contributions, and strict controls against profiteering and unfair practices. “I’d put it even more broadly: the best response to inflation is to have more and better-paying jobs. To have more disposable income—higher disposable income. And to have an economy that grows in a way that benefits every household. That is where every policy is judged. I won’t claim that the problem has therefore been solved. What I will say is that our economic policy has as its top priority closing the gap between price increases and citizens’ disposable income, and we are constantly striving to strengthen this,” he added emphatically.
Regarding private debt, the minister stated that “despite the economy’s significant progress, there are still citizens who are carrying the burdens of the past. They need a chance to start over. We cannot talk about growth that benefits everyone unless we also provide a solution for these fellow citizens of ours.” That is why, he added, we are implementing a package of measures that constitutes a comprehensive “second chance” policy. These include lowering the threshold for enrollment in the out-of-court debt settlement mechanism from 10,000 to 5,000 euros, the option to settle debts in 72 installments, the increase in the non-seizable threshold from 1,250 to 1,600 euros, the option to unfreeze frozen accounts for anyone who is consistent in their repayment plan, and the two measures to protect primary residences (the operation of the Real Estate Acquisition and Leaseback Agency and the protection of the primary residence through the out-of-court mechanism).
Finally, in response to a question regarding Achaea, he replied that in general, in Western Greece, there is a significant effort underway, with results that are beginning to emerge. He concluded by saying that the region has great potential. “Achaea has significant advantages. I believe that in the coming years it can play an even greater leading role in the country’s development. Our job is to create the conditions so that this potential translates into more and better-paying jobs, higher incomes, and ultimately greater optimism for all citizens.”
