Public policy

The Energy Ministry will indirectly force electricity consumers to foot the bill for the deficit of RES (renewable energy source) companies.

An amendment tabled in Parliament on Thursday to a bill on the Civil Aviation Authority provides for additional state revenues from power suppliers amounting to 45 million euros next year to go toward the coverage of the RES firms' deficit.

Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Ana Brnabic has said that her ministry's priorities would be to introduce e-government services.

Tenders are already under way, she added, Tanjug is reporting.

Albanian Interior Minister Sajmir Tahiri told parliament that he does not intend to resign and called on the General Prosecutor to investigate oposition claims about his alleged crime links to drugs smugglers.

The opposition claims Tahiri has links to drug dealers and that the police have been infiltrated by criminal elements that protect the drug traffic routes.

The Finance Ministry has announced plans to change the way that cars are taxed in Greece, creating what it says will be a ?fairer? system.

According to the ministry?s statement, vehicles will be taxed according to their retail price rather than engine size, as is currently the case.

The leftist Greek government’s apparent displeasure with the online publication of various state sector expenditures is reportedly behind an amendment allowing for an “exception” to a draft law mandating the posting of all public administration decisions on the Internet.

A number of drug-related issues will be explored by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) on June 4 in its annual overview of the European drug situation.

BELGRADE - The first draft law on public sector salaries is ready, and it proposes 60 pay categories, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Kori Udovicki said on Thursday.

By Roula Salourou

The government will lay the groundwork to reform the social security system this year, according to statements made to Kathimerini by Alternate Social Security Minister Dimitris Stratoulis.

Anti-narcotic teams formed as part of the government's anti-drug action plan have captured a total of 610 dealers in 72 days since they were established last December.

A total of 202 operations were launched between Dec. 11, 2014, and Feb. 20 by the anti-drug units, meaning 8.4 people statistically were captured per day. Some 182 of the 610 people were arrested.

Conducting foreign policy is not a matter to be decide by the street, according to former Ambassador Volkan Vural. The ruling AKP may have received 50 of the vote, but it has been hampered by pursuing foreign policy goals as if it also has the support of half the world, he says