Athens News Agency: Greek PM pledges to move forward with reforms, says no to pre-election benefits

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Greek PM pledges to move forward with reforms, says no to pre-election benefits

Greek PM pledges to move forward with reforms, says no to pre-election benefits

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Saturday reiterated his government's commitment to move forward with reforms and to implement its pre-election pledges while he underlined that he did not intend to undermine the economy by offering irresponsible social benefits to citizens. In his traditional speech to the country's producer classes, in the framework of the 71st Thessaloniki International Fair, the Greek premier was clear: "There will be no irresponsible benefits that the economy cannot afford. This vicious circle of pre-election benefits, destabilizing the economy and leading to new harder measures after the elections, must end. The country cannot afford it. The citizens don't want it. A relation of trust with citizens is based on our responsible policy. Not on irresponsible benefits. I am not going to undermine the economy for any short-lived party benefits. We behave and will continue to behave as a responsible government towards mature citizens". Karamanlis underlined that the government was fulfiling its pledges: "We move forward with a plan and a sense of responsibility, to improving farm and supplementary pensions. Farm pensions will rise from 227 to 330 euros per month and a supplementary pension payment will rise from 160 to 230 euros per month in early 2008".

The Greek Prime Minister stressed that, for the first time since joining EMU, the country's fiscal deficit would fall below 3.0 percent of GDP, while the government was promoting a tax reform and raising unemployment benefit payments.