Stathakis: Economy to turn from stabilization to growth in H2

Speaking in Parliament, responding to a question by Democratic Alliance deputy Odysseas Konstantinopoulos, Stathakis said that economic recession in 2015 was below 1.0 pct. "In 2015-2016 the economy stabilizes. A recession in the first and second quarters of 2016 has stabilized and if we add the third quarter which has positive recovery rates, we will have a turn in the economy from stabilization to growth. The economy will grow by 2.7 pct in the period from June to June," the Greek minister said.

He reassured that from the end of September to early October, all private enterprises will be able to apply for the four investment programes of a new development law. "A development law voted in Parliament will be activated in September," he noted, adding the acceleration of procedures for the settlement of older applications and stressed that the ministry's target was to complete 100 business investments per month. "We expect to absorb one billion euros by the end of the year," Stathakis said.

Commenting on the investment project in Helliniko, Stathakis said an MoU agreement has been signed and will be put for ratification in Parliament in September.