11/10/2004 13:37
Early general elections were not necessary and would not be called, development minister Dimitris Sioufas said Monday, speaking at a conference on attracting foreign investments to Greece, organised by the International Herald Tribune (IHT).
He said that in the March 2004 general elections the government had ensured an exceptionally large majority in the Greek parliament, and called on the country's business community to ignore the election rumors.
Replying to questions, Sioufas said there was no doubt that there were phenomena of special interests and corruption in the country, but added that the government would tackle those phenomena on the basis of its government platform. "The same rules for everyone, without benefiting certain quarters, nor excluding others," the minister said.
Sioufas said that the new big wager of economic policy needed to be won was the reinforcement of the economy's competitiveness. Greece, he said, had failed in the past to take advantage of significant opportunities, an auspicious environment and the EU reinforcemnts. Despite the high groth rates, the competitiveness of the Greek economy receded, he noted, adding that the government would not let the country slide further in the classification based on the competitiveness of the economy.
Referring to specific measures aimed at developing an auspicious business climate, Sioufas announced that the new regime governing the issue of licences to business concers, which he said would contain revoluationary changes to the time and documentation required to set up a new business would be unveiled in the coming weeks.
National economy and finance minister George Alogoskouris told the delegates attending the conference that the inventory and revelation of the extent of the fiscal derailing that existed had been a necessary precondition in order that the government could proceed with the materialisation of its targets. "We shall achieve a drastic containment of the deficit and the public debt through mild adjustment," he said.
Alogoskoufis noted that, with the new developmental law and tax reform that would be announced "within the year", a business climate conducive to investments would be created.
He said that in the March 2004 general elections the government had ensured an exceptionally large majority in the Greek parliament, and called on the country's business community to ignore the election rumors.
Replying to questions, Sioufas said there was no doubt that there were phenomena of special interests and corruption in the country, but added that the government would tackle those phenomena on the basis of its government platform. "The same rules for everyone, without benefiting certain quarters, nor excluding others," the minister said.
Sioufas said that the new big wager of economic policy needed to be won was the reinforcement of the economy's competitiveness. Greece, he said, had failed in the past to take advantage of significant opportunities, an auspicious environment and the EU reinforcemnts. Despite the high groth rates, the competitiveness of the Greek economy receded, he noted, adding that the government would not let the country slide further in the classification based on the competitiveness of the economy.
Referring to specific measures aimed at developing an auspicious business climate, Sioufas announced that the new regime governing the issue of licences to business concers, which he said would contain revoluationary changes to the time and documentation required to set up a new business would be unveiled in the coming weeks.
National economy and finance minister George Alogoskouris told the delegates attending the conference that the inventory and revelation of the extent of the fiscal derailing that existed had been a necessary precondition in order that the government could proceed with the materialisation of its targets. "We shall achieve a drastic containment of the deficit and the public debt through mild adjustment," he said.
Alogoskoufis noted that, with the new developmental law and tax reform that would be announced "within the year", a business climate conducive to investments would be created.