Development Ministry

As of Thursday, supermarket opening hours will only be 60 minutes longer per day compared to the period before the onset of the coronavirus epidemic in Greece, while this Sunday, and possibly the next, they will remain closed.

The Democritus University of Thrace in northeastern Greece is seeking to build new, ecologically friendly student dorms and research facilities that will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of its campuses in the towns of Alexandroupoli, Komotini and Xanthi.

The first week that the new coronavirus was reported in Greece - i.e. the last week of February - witnessed an increase in supermarket turnover that was comparable only to the period straight after the government of Alexis Tsipras imposed capital controls in late June 2015.

Payments from the European Union's Partnership Agreement for the Development Framework, known in Greek as ESPA, amounted to 32.7 percent of public spending over 2019, a statement by the Development Ministry noted on Friday. When the Agricultural Development Program is included, the payments represent a 35.8 percent share.

The Development Ministry is planning to crack down on debt collection companies that instead of simply informing clients of their arrears use harassment tactics against debtors but also against their relatives, often even for sums as small as 20 euros.

Two of China's biggest banks plan to do business in Greece, the Bank of Greece, has announced. 

Specifically, the central bank informed the Development Ministry on October 31 about the establishment of branchs of a branch of Bank of China (Europe) Luxembourg. 

The branch is to be located at Mesogeion Avenue, 2, and has a launch date of November 1, the BoG said. 

The government is tightening the noose around troubled casinos in Greece: The Development Ministry's omnibus bill currently being debated in Parliament provides for casino companies to pay their debts to the social security funds and their employees with greater consistency.

The fatal fall of a 14-year-old girl from the "flying carpet" of an amusement park near the town of Almyros in Volos central Greece on August 30 was the result of the ride's excessive speed, a probe has found.
The probe, published over the weekend, found that the ride's engine produces 123 horsepower instead of 15 hp as declared to authorities.

Failure by individuals within the competent agencies of the state or local authority officials to send the required documents for the licensing of strategic investments within the given deadline will be punished with a minimum suspension of three months, according to the investment incentives bill that the Development Ministry has put up for consultation until Tuesday.

The Central Archaeological Council (KAS), Greece's top advisory body on the protection of antiquities, which has quite a few new faces, may meet as soon as next week to discuss modifications to a joint ministerial decision that will affect the stalled Elliniko investment plan.