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Most of the
elements in Varoufakis' list approved by Greece's lenders
(http://failedevolution.blogspot.gr/2015/02/breaking-eurogroup-approves-varoufakis.html), are
quite flexible for interpretation. They refer to the fight on tax
fraud, especially for the big incomes, and commitment for the
significant restriction of unnecessary costs in the public sector.
These things were promised already by the current government before
the elections.
Characteristic
parts:
“Broaden
definition of tax fraud and evasion while disbanding tax immunity.
[...] Resolutely enforce and improve legislation on transfer pricing.
Work toward creating a new culture of tax compliance to ensure that
all sections of society, and especially the well-off, contribute
fairly to the financing of public policies.”
and
“Staff
adequately, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the GSPR [General
Secretariat of Public Revenues] and in particular the high wealth and
large debtors units of the revenue administration and ensure that it
has strong investigative/prosecution powers, and resources building
on SDOE’s capacities, so as to target effectively tax fraud by, and
tax arrears of, high income social groups.”
In essence,
this is what SYRIZA was telling before the elections, concerning the
taxing of types of transactions of millions that enjoy tax immunity.
Therefore, naturally some may be particularly annoyed.
Other parts
reveal government's determination to fight big interests:
“Greece
wants a modern public administration. It will: Turn the fight against
corruption into a national priority and operationalize fully the
National Plan Against Corruption. Target fuel and tobacco products’
smuggling, monitor prices of imported goods (to prevent revenue
losses during the importation process), and tackle money laundering.
The government intends immediately to set itself ambitious revenue
targets, in these areas, to be pursued under the coordination of the
newly established position of Minister of State. [...]
Activate immediately the current (though dormant) legislation that
regulates the revenues of media (press and electronic), ensuring
(through appropriately designed auctions) that they pay the state
market prices for frequencies used, and prohibits the continued
operation of permanently loss-making media outlets (without a
transparent process of recapitalisation).”
There is
also a special section for fighting humanitarian crisis. This new
section is actually an admission of the failure of the previous
program, despite that some representatives of the lenders' side and
other big mainstream media are talking about a retreat of the Greek
side. In essence, this is another tactical win by the Greek side:
“The
Greek government affirms its plan to: Address needs arising from the
recent rise in absolute poverty (inadequate access to nourishment,
shelter, health services and basic energy provision) by means of
highly targeted non-pecuniary measures (e.g. food stamps). Do so in a
manner that is helpful to the reforming of public administration and
the fight against bureaucracy/corruption (e.g. the issuance of a
Citizen Smart Card that can be used as an ID card, in the Health
System, as well as for gaining access to the food stamp program
etc.). Evaluate the pilot Minimum Guaranteed Income scheme with a
view to extending it nationwide. Ensure that its fight against the
humanitarian crisis has no negative fiscal effect.”
The last
"dark spot" sentence that “... its fight against the
humanitarian crisis has no negative fiscal effect.”, has been
added obviously to balance the concerns of the fanatic fiscal
discipline sadists.
However,
there are also some other “dark spots” in the list:
“Establish
a closer link between pension contributions and income ...”
“Reform
the public sector wage grid with a view to decompressing the wage
distribution through productivity gains and appropriate recruitment
policies without reducing the current wage floors but safeguarding
that the public sector’s wage bill will not increase. Rationalise
non-wage benefits, to reduce overall expenditure, ...”
“Commit
not to roll back privatisations that have been completed. Where the
tender process has been launched the government will respect the
process, according to the law. [...] Review privatisations that have
not yet been launched, with a view to improving the terms so as to
maximise the state’s long term benefits, generate revenues, enhance
competition in the local economies, promote national economic
recovery, and stimulate long term growth prospects.”
“The
scope and timing of changes to the minimum wage will be made in
consultation with social partners and the European and international
institutions, including the ILO, and take full account of advice from
a new independent body on whether changes in wages are in line with
productivity developments and competitiveness.”
“Greece
remains committed to: Removing barriers to competition based on input
from the OECD.”
In any case,
the list is light-years away from the measures that the previous
FinMin was about to implement
(http://www.scribd.com/doc/253230785/Hardouvelis-email#scribd).
The list is also written in a flexible way containing convenient
generalities especially for the Greek government. It appears that
this is indeed a four-month truce period which the two sides will
seek to exploit for their own purposes. The Greek government should
take the advantage for the next battle, exploiting this period and
making fast and smart moves:
“...
the financial lobbyists, represented by the Troika, insist in the
final sadistic fiscal targets, exactly because they know that a
devastated economy is impossible to meet them. They will use this
four-month period only as an excuse to say later that they treated
Greece with enough clemency against the other eurozone members and
they will play this card to turn all the eurozone countries against
Greece, in order to isolate fully the Greek government. On the other
hand, Tsipras took what he wanted in order to prepare better for a
Grexit. The Greek Leftists in power know very well who are dealing
with, so they will use this time to prepare for the next battle of
this big war.”
(http://failedevolution.blogspot.gr/2015/02/german-retreat-gives-chance-for-greeks.html)
The parts of
Varoufakis list taken from:
http://www.protothema.gr/economy/article/454136/i-epistoli-varoufaki-stin-ee-sta-agglika-/
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