Greek citizens line up at ATMs, no gas, pensioners in limbo (photos)

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras calls for “patience and composure” over the coming days fell on deaf ears following the dramatic developments in the Greek economy over the last 48 hours. The announcement for a referendum on July 5 at dawn on Saturday, followed on Sunday with a new announcement that banks would remain closed until July 6 and provisions for a daily ceiling to withdrawals set at 60 euros caused citizens to rush to ATM machines, supermarkets and gas stations in a state of panic!

Though pensions and public sector wages will be paid, a number of elderly people are in limbo as they only have bank books rather than debit cards. Pensioners who poured onto the streets last week protesting against proposed pension slashes are now desperately waiting outside bank entrances waiting for an official who will tell them how they will manage to get by without money. The National Bank announced that it would open 70 branches of the Greek National Bank to serve pensioners without credit cards.

Hellenic Petroleum S.A. announced on Sunday that there is enough fuel to cover the country’s needs over the next few months, but panic sent people rushing, emptying short-term supplies. There have been fears expressed that the region of Attica will run out of supplies by Monday. Even so, SUnday’s announcement by head of Hellenic Petroleum Grigoris Stergioulis stressed that fuel supplies were adequate to meet demands. He stressed that ELPE refineries were operating normally to supply the needs of the market and that the refinery had fuel reserves to cover several months, while the supply of crude oil to the refineries was assured.

Proto Thema contacted the relevant Ministry of Energy, Environment and Climate Change but received no response regarding the fears that have been expressed. by providers of supplies running out and bank limits making it impossible for new supplies that require bank transactions.

ATM

Daily Ethnos newspaper reports taht 2,191 ATMs from a total of 5,449 around the country were emptied over the last 48 hours with citizens driving kilometers away to find ATMs that still provided money.