Government Meeting Examines Funding and Shipyards

The meeting, also attended by a number of ministers, also focused on the new real estate tax, with Finance minister Yannis Stournaras saying that "considering the required revenues, we will make the necessary improvements (to the real estate tax), taking into account the standpoints the parliamentary groups of the New Democracy and PASOK parties."

Stournaras added the government will try to do the best it can on the new tax, hoping that processing will finish by the end of next week.

As far as the NSRF funding, Development Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said that the final touches are being put on its arrangements. The NSRF "will be simpler, not bureaucratic," the minister noted.

A new meeting will be held next week on the shipyards issue.
Government vice-president Evangelos Venizelos told reporters that a Reuters dispatch having that Greece's troika of lenders was not to return to Athens next week, as scheduled, was untrue and inaccurate, while Mr. Stournaras said he had an appointment with the troika next Tuesday.