Kostis Hatzidakis

The Greek Finance Ministry will table legislation within the next two weeks halving the fees for POS transactions, MInister Kostis Hatzidakis said on Tuesday.

Greece was the pleasant surprise of the European economy that was often mentioned at the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG), National Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said on wrapping up his visit to Washington.

The key word for Greece and Europe is competitiveness, said National Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis in interviews with the Bloomberg and CNBC television networks.

The Ministry of National Economy and Finance intends to display its confidence in fiscal stability and responsible fiscal policy, both with the initial scenario for the Stability Program that will be sent to Brussels by the end of April, and with the Midterm Fiscal Plan until September 20.

The Recovery and Resilience Fund enabled investments that otherwise would not have been made or would have been significantly delayed, Minister of National Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis emphasized in his intervention at the ECOFIN meeting in Luxembourg on Friday.

The new reduction in social security contributions by employers, which the government plans to implement in two phases, will start in 2025, it has been confirmed.

European Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni met with Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis on Tuesday and discussed the new framework of fiscal rules, the course of implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), as well as tax policy issues.

Checks on beaches are beginning by mixed squads, which are called to establish if there are any illegalities by businesses and hotel units.

Already, by a decision of Minister of National Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis, fines have been activated, which, apart from the removal of arbitrary constructions and exclusion from tenders and concessions, can reach 60,000 euros each.

Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis disclosed a new array of economic measures for 2025 during the Delphi Economic Forum on Wednesday, valued at 870 million euros.

Greece determines the benefit of the state from its divestment from the systemic banks at 3.5 billion euros.