"Citizens are not interested in the communications problems that the government may or may not have, but in the fact that Greece is taking steady steps forward, with tax cuts and improved salaries, both in the private and public sectors. Since 2023, civil servants have received an average of 1.3 additional salaries and by 2027 they will get two salaries. As of today, the new increase in the minimum wage to 880 euros is in effect and pension increases have been unfrozen. Within the framework of the wage policy that will be announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), there will be further support for civil servants, but always within what the budget can sustain," underlined government vice president Kostis Hatzidakis in an interview with SKAI TV on Tuesday.
He stressed that the times of unlimited handouts were over, pointing out that it was ultimately employees and pensioners who had paid the price of such policies."We would also like to give more but the issue is to give as much as we can afford. We should not go beyond our means and have the Commission activate an excessive deficit procedure again. This would be a harbinger of crisis and memoranda," he stressed.
Hatzidakis stated that the government has not succeeding in conveying its narrative as clearly during its second four-year term, in spite of carrying out reforms such as opening Greece to private universities, the initiatives to tackle tax evasion with unprecedented results and the modernisation of the judiciary. "It is clear that, with us, Greece is taking and will continue to take steady steps forward. We must make this as clearly as possible. And this goal will be achieved by promoting the reforms that are already planned for the further reduction of taxes, for the modernisation of the Hellenic Railways Organisation, for much faster procedures in the judiciary, etc.," he said.
Concluding he pointed out that "For us, there are no magical formulas. No one need expect us to say that we turn into Switzerland...What is certain, however, is that steps are being taken and from now on much more will be done. In September, we will have positive moves with the reduction in direct taxes and the government's new wage policy. In the autumn we will have projects that will be completed, such as the Patras - Pyrgos motorway and later the extension of the Thessaloniki metro. We will have the private universities, which will begin operating. We will have the new reform interventions of the Ministry of Justice. We were elected with specific commitments in 2023 and we will honour these commitments".