Very few citizens have responded to a call by the Finance Ministry to designate a bank account where deposits up to 1,500 euros cannot be confiscated against arrears to the state.

In a Council of State court ruling yesterday, Greek state and insurance funds can now confiscate bank account deposits with debts, without alerting their holders.

The Ministry of Finance, in its effort to combat money laundering, will run electronic checks on all tax payers holding bank accounts of more than 1,000 euros and owe money to the State.