Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras on Wednesday forecast higher GDP growth this year, while predicting that the annual inflation rate will level-off at 4.5 percent, speaking at the annual Delphi economic forum, and with a direct view to the coming May 21 general election.

Speaking amid a now official campaign period, Staikouras forecast that economic growth this year will reach 2.3 percent, up from a previous 2-percent forecast.

In echoing incumbent Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ pre-election pledges from a day earlier, the Greek FinMin said “available economic space” will be fully exploited to raise the minimum monthly wage, increase the tax-free ceiling for annual incomes and even increase wages in the public sector.

He also reiterated that a second consecutive Mitsotakis government – assuming an election result on May 21, or subsequent election weeks later, is favorable for center-right New Democracy (ND) – will seek lower social security contributions and abolition of an annual “trade fee” payment (between 500 to 650 euros) for self-employed professionals, “under the condition, for the second, that tax evasion is further restricted,” he added.

Asked why the VAT rate was not cut for foodstuffs, amid a surge in the inflation rate for the latter, he said a similar measure costs 1.4 billion euros, something that necessitate an equal fiscal off-set measure, while expressing reservations on whether any cuts in the VAT rate would reach consumers.

Ακολουθήστε τον ot.grστο Google News και μάθετε πρώτοι όλες τις ειδήσεις
Δείτε όλες τις τελευταίες Ειδήσεις από την Ελλάδα και τον Κόσμο, στον ot.gr

Latest News

Πρόσφατα Άρθρα English Edition