The reality is that the government is striving to increase state revenues without raising taxes, by tackling tax evasion and creating new jobs and instead reducing taxes, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis underlined on Tuesday in an interview with Real FM. He emphasised, however, that this must be done in a way that does not exceed the country's means, so that it does not again find itself "on the edge of a cliff and mortgaging future generations." 
 In response to a question about the return of the 13th and 14th salaries for public-sector employees and pensioners, Marinakis noted that the cost of restoring the 13th and 14th salaries in the state sector would be 3 billion euros, while a 13th and 14th pension would cost an additional 5 billion euros, making a total of 8 billion euros. He emphasised that this money did not exist for the state to give at this time and expressed the opinion that it would be better spent elsewhere if it was available.

Finally, regarding the government's handling of the Tempi accident, Marinakis noted that public opinion was justifiably outraged at the enormous weaknesses of the state, which had combined with enormous human errors on the fateful night of the tragic Tempi accident, while stressing that "a vulgar instrumentalisation by the opposition," and its narrative of a cover-up would end up collapsing. 

"The mistakes, failures or simple negligence, or whatever the Court will decide, which led, along with human errors, to the tragic accident at Tempi, which we do not deny, is one thing. The narrative of a cover-up, which was created by the opposition by falsifying the facts, is another. I believe that Justice will assess it, that as the evidence emerges and is presented to citizens in a calm and collected manner, the 'cover-up' will turn about 180 degrees and become an opposite cover-up, the cover-up of the truth by the opposition," he said.