Al. Haritsis: ‘Only 1% utilization of the funds of the Recovery Fund’

“Tsipras’ proposal for the establishment of an Inter-Party Committee so that there is parliamentary control over the most important, the absolutely critical financial program that our country has to manage in the coming years and which far exceeds the political circle of any government, the Recovery Fund, should to be considered self-evident”, stressed the Head of Development and Investments of SYRIZA – PS and Member of Parliament for Messinia, Alexis Haritsis, in the Plenary Session of the Parliament. “And even with the Mitsotakis crisis raging. With a series of sad pan-European firsts (gasoline, electricity, disposable income) that threaten to dissolve social cohesion and bury any prospect of recovery of the real economy,” he pointed out characteristically.

“Your transparency and accountability cause an allergy” underlined Mr. Haritsis, continuing “you planned the disposal of the critical funds of the Recovery Fund, in absentia and against society. You brought the plan for consultation to the Parliament after a holiday and in fact with fast track procedures” . “From the first moment it appeared that your intention was not to use it for the support and transformation of the Greek economy, but to manage it as your personal korvana” added the deputy and wondered “why all the parliamentary questions submitted by the SYRIZA-PS for the Recovery Fund a year and a half now”.

“According to the data of the ENA Institute, the actual rate of absorption of the Fund’s total resources is only 1%, while the “pooling” resources amount to 6.315 billion.” emphasized the head of the SYRIZA department, submitting all the relevant data to the Minutes of the Parliament. The SYRIZA-PS department head added: “The ND government has failed miserably. That’s why it refuses control and accountability.” “Its goal is one: for the money to go to the money. The regional structure, the support of small and medium enterprises, agricultural production and industry are completely absent. While instead of having a serious program of housing policy, like Portugal and Spain, you are proceeding with anti-social, anti-reforms with the dissolution of labor relations and the privatization of supplementary insurance” pointed out Al. Haritsis regarding the government’s plan for the allocation of funds.

“While the green transition and the environmental dimension is a central priority of the Recovery Fund pan-European, these days a disgraceful bill is being discussed in the Parliament, which has been characterized as an environmental killer by all the environmental organizations without exception, who have called for its complete withdrawal” characteristically commented Mr. Haritsis.

“SYRIZA-PS has presented for a year now a comprehensive program for the utilization of the Recovery Fund in combination with and complementary to the new NSRF. With all these elements that are completely absent from the ND government’s plan” the department head reminded. “Unfortunately you chose to ignore it. Because what you care about is serving specific interests. As you did during the pandemic with more than 7 billion direct assignments,” said Al. Haritsis and concluded:

“No matter how much Mr. Mitsotakis tries to delay the fateful event, it will eventually happen. The elections will be held, SYRIZA-PS will win and the next progressive government will redirect and use the Recovery Fund funds to support society , to shield the economy and transform the country’s productive base in a fair, sustainable and inclusive manner”.