Greece open to compromise to seal deal this week: Interior Minister

Monday, 1 June 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A woman carrying bags of goods makes her way past Greek national flags and European Union flags on display in Athens 25 May – Reuters

ATHENS (Reuters): Greece’s government is confident of reaching a deal with its creditors this week and is open to pushing back parts of its anti-austerity program to make that happen, the country’s Interior Minister said Saturday.

Greece and its EUIMF creditors have been locked in talks for months on a cash-for-reforms deal and pressure is growing for a deal, since Athens risks default without aid from a bailout program that expires on 30 June.

“We believe that we can and we must have a solution and a deal within the week,” Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis, who is not involved in Greece’s talks with the lenders, told Skai television.

“Some parts of our program could be pushed back by six months or maybe by a year, so that there is some balance,” he said.

He did not elaborate on what parts of the ruling Syriza party’s anti-austerity program could be pushed back, but the comments suggested a greater willingness to compromise on pre-election pledges

.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stormed to power in January on promises to cancel austerity, including restoring the minimum wage level and collective bargaining rights.

The government earlier this week said it hoped for a deal by Sunday, though international lenders have been less optimistic, citing Greece’s resistance to labor and pension reforms that are conditions for more aid. Voutsis said Athens and its partners agreed on some issues, such as achieving low primary budget surpluses in the first two years. But they still disagreed on a sales tax, with Greece pushing so any VAT hikes will not burden lower incomes

.

“A powerful majority in the political negotiations has showed respect for the fact that there can’t be further austerity strategies for the Greek issue, the Greek problem and the Greek people,” he said.

The debt stand-off between Greece and its European Union partners overshadowed a meeting of policymakers from the Group of Seven rich nations in Dresden, Germany, on Friday.

The United States warned of a possible accident for the world economy if Greece and its creditors miss their June deadlines to avert a debt default.

In an interview with Realnews newspaper published on Saturday, Economy Minister George Stathakis said Athens had no alternative plan.

“The idea of a Plan B doesn’t exist. Our country needs to stay in the eurozone but on a better organised aid program,” he said.

Stathakis was confident a deal will be reached. Otherwise, mainly Greece but the European Union as well will step into unchartered waters and no-one wants that.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.