Government accelerating action for 'parallel programme', sources say

One of these will involve new laws on the licensing of television stations, which Minister of State Nikos Pappas has announced will also include the founding of an ERT subsidiary that will act as digital network provider.

A second area of action will be that of public-sector contracts, where the government intends to accelerate changes aiming at a cleansing of this area, with uniform rules of transparency, and to make progress on useful projects by using all financing tools.

Absorption of Community funds from the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) will be another priority area, supervised by Deputy Minister for NSRF issues Alexis Charitsis, where the government aims to have absorbed 3.5 billion euros by the end of the year.

On the unemployment front, the government is planning a network of actions aiming to create jobs for groups with high unemployment rates, including special plans for the jobless that are over 40 and 50 years old.

Meanwhile, Alternate Minister for Social Solidarity Theano Fotiou will press ahead with programmes designed to address a food crisis among low incomes. The government is already armed with a 'poverty map' drawn up through electronic records and will press ahead with the provision of meals in schools. According to Fotiou, school lunches will be an fundamental element of the new school.

Lastly, the government intends to take action to crack down on the contraband tobacco trade, completing plans drawn up by the former minister of state Panagiotis Nikoloudis, while similar actions for fuel and alcohol will follow.

ANA - MPA