K. Bakoyannis: Reduction of municipal fees with the end of the pandemic

The possibility of adjusting the municipal fees in the capital, as soon as the cycle of the pandemic closes, left open the mayor of Athens, Costas Bakogiannis, speaking to the TV station SKAI.

Asked if the Municipal Authority should consider the issue of municipal fees, especially in the companies that are affected, Mr. Bakoyannis stressed: “The businessmen of the city know very well that we were the Municipality that came forward before any decision was made. government, and we said that any business that closes for public health reasons because of the pandemic will not pay anything to the Municipality of Athens. We were absolutely clear. to close the cycle of the pandemic, I hope soon – listening to the experts and I hope they will be confirmed – and beyond, obviously we will discuss a reduction of fees so that we can give “breath” to all those who have kept Athens upright.

Responding to the attack received by SYRIZA for the New Year’s event, the mayor of Athens described as incomprehensible the attempt to “politicize everything” and the “logic of division” even in Culture, while noting that the same people who complained to the Municipal Authority had voted corresponding costs in previous years. “The Municipality of Athens respects public money and operates with absolute transparency. We are the only Municipality in Europe whose Moody’s has upgraded its creditworthiness, in the midst of a pandemic,” said Mr. Bakoyannis.

He referred to the new financial tools, to the acquisition of European and national funding, which for the first time, as he noted, the Municipality of Athens manages to “unlock”.

“If you look at the overall budget of the Municipality of Athens, you will find that it draws on European resources, national resources and at the same time plans its own financial tools. And the truth is that in the last two years we have made very important steps. Let me give you specific examples: We have has designed a € 40 million program of European resources, which we have launched into the market, just to support entrepreneurship in the pandemic, including a generous € 7.5 million support for Culture. “Let me give you, specifically from European resources that we have utilized, this is for the social solidarity actions amounting to 14 million euros, but there are others”, he underlined.

In the same context, he included the financing of the projects in the University and the Constitution, and added: “The budget of the University is smaller than the anti-flood work we will do in Kolonos. Part of our job is to” unlock “funding. For many years “This did not happen in Athens. Do not ask me why. But now it is happening. Our goal from the first moment is the great absorption of resources.”

SOURCE: AMPE