PM Presents National Development Programme
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras presented the new National Development Programme, which aims at changing the country's production model, on Tuesday evening.
The programme was presented at 19.00 during a New Democracy event entitled “Greece: a vision of Growth” at the Benaki Museum, and one of the keys was the reference to the creation of 770,000 jobs in the coming years.
Speaking in the Benaki Museum amphitheater, the PM promised 770,000 new jobs until 2021, accusing opposition SYRIZA party that they preach a return to the dark says of the country's past. He talked about a “new Greece” (his latest slogan) full of competitiveness and investment, not the old one full of state employees.
The PM reiterated that gradually – as the country fulfills its fiscal targets- taxes and social security contributions will be reduced while the minimum guaranteed income and a series of regulations on enhancing social cohesion will be introduced. As he said the country has regained its credibility.
“Up til now we were placing the foundations for growth, now we will go to growth,” said the PM
The main priorities of the plan he presented included the following: A reduction in unemployment, which will bring a rise in wages; a reduction in taxation in a way that would not affect the primary surplus adversely; a reduction in farming cost, to improve competitive ability; liquidity in business, with banks finding their own funding abroad; and promotion of reforms, including tax evasion and bureaucracy and the revision of the constitution to improve stability in the electoral system and limit the prime minister’s terms in office.
The programme also includes the strategic sectors where Greece has competitive advantages and on which growth will be based, such as shipping, transport, agricultural products, energy, research, innovation and new technologies.
Moreover, it includes provisions for attracting foreign investments with the creation of a favourable environment, cutting down on red tape, deregulating the markets as well as the privatizations programme.
During his speech, Mr Samaras gave some indications of his plans during the last days before the Europarliament elections and the second round of the local administration polls and raised the dilemma of the electoral showdown.
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