Greek Daily News – 09/02/23

TODAY

POLITICS

-A draft bill aims to speed up decision-making in the country’s administrative courts over the next four years by bringing them in line with those in the European Union and eliminating pending cases, Greek daily Kathimerini reported. Currently, cases before the administrative courts take over 1,000 days, or nearly three years, to be decided, compared to an EU average of fewer than 450 days.

-Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras announced on Wednesday (Feb. 8) in Parliament an immediate legislative initiative to improve the extrajudicial debt settlement mechanism, AMNA reported.

-Teachers at the National Theatre of Greece’s (NTG) Drama School resigned en masse on Wednesday (Feb. 8) over a controversial presidential decree which equates the diplomas of drama schools with high school diplomas.

ECONOMY

-Tax officers will start on March 1 exhaustive cross-checking of data of owners and property managers active in the short-term rental industry, aiming to identify those who avoid declaring incomes or declare less than what they receive, the tax administration announced. This market’s turnover exceeded 2.2 billion euros in 2022.

-The General Federation of Consumers of Greece (INKA) on Wednesday (Feb. 8) announced a boycott of both domestic and imported dairy products, (including milk, cheese and yoghurts) between February 13-20 as a protect against high food prices, especially milk. According to an announcement, the decision was made at the demand of consumers.

-Nearly half of the country’s municipalities (44%) are calling for a reduction in the property rates used for tax purposes (known as “objective values”) or even a return to 2018 levels, according to the data of the competent ministries of Digital Governance and Finance.

FINANCIAL MARKET

The Athex Composite Share Price index closed up 0.98% on Thursday to 1,074.87 points.

BUSINESS

-Domestic wine consumption in Greece grew by 41.3% in the 2021-22 wine season compared to the 2020-21 season, according to a study on winemaking by Stochasis Management Consultancy.

-Greece’s popularity as a family vacation destination continues to rise, as it was ranked the seventh most sought-after country for family getaways in 2023. This information comes from a study conducted by the Family Vacation Guide, which analyzed online search trends for family vacations in 2021 and 2022 and correlated them with Instagram posts. While enjoying your Greek vacation, be sure to capture some memorable moments and share them on your Instagram account to not only create lasting memories but also potentially gain more followers.

SHIPPING

The competitiveness of Greek shipping should be maintained, Melina Travlou, president of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) stated on Wednesday (Feb. 8) during the Annual Regular General Assembly of the USG held at the Eugenides Foundation in Athens. First established in 1916, the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) represents Greek-owned vessels over 3,000 gt under Greek and other European and third country flags.

SOCIAL

-International Greek Language Day, observed on Feb. 9, highlights the extraordinary role that the Greek language has played in the global development of literacy, science, philosophy and culture. The day also honors the memory of the Greek national poet Dionysios Solomos, who wrote Greece’s national anthem ”Hymn to Liberty.”

-Two of the five flights carrying Greek humanitarian aid arrived at the airport of Turkey’s Adana early Thursday morning, as Athens steps up efforts to help those injured or displaced by the deadly earthquake that levelled large parts of southeastern Turkey and northern Syria.