The path toward direct collection of municipal fees by municipalities, rather than through electricity bills, has been paved by a legislative amendment introduced by Theodoros Livaniou to the bill for the new Local Government Code.
Addressing the House, Minister of the Interior said that, following technical amendments to the bill, a Presidential Decree is expected, – with the consent of KEDE and the relevant ministries – so that it will be possible to examine and implement a system for paying municipal fees, no longer through Public Power Corporation (DEI) bills [. . .] but through other means as well, similar to how taxes are collected. Essentially, he added, this paves the way for a legislative provision to separate municipal fees —at some point in the future—from electricity bills, which is a request made by both the providers and HEDNO and, ultimately, the municipalities, over time.
Shortly thereafter, while speaking with parliamentary reporters, Mr. Livaniou estimated that direct payment of municipal fees is expected to be feasible by early 2028.
According to another legislative refinement proposed by Mr. Livaniou, in the local elections to be held under the new (single-round) system, “if a coalition, including supplementary votes, receives less than 42%, its majority in the City Council will be slightly reduced. Instead of, for example, 15-10, it will be 14-11. There will be a shift away from the “three-fifths” threshold toward a more proportional system, to some extent,” said Mr. Livaniou.
The debate on the bill concludes today in the plenary session of Parliament, with the relevant vote.
