Parliament: The provisions for the new reduction of ENFIA were voted

The provisions for the new reduced ENFIA, as well as the beginning of the relevant bill, were voted by the plenary session of the Parliament, after a roll call vote requested by ND. The ruling party had claimed that the president of SYRIZA had appeared positive in the specific provisions, while later, the responsible department head Efi Ahtsioglou had said that her party would declare “present”.

On the principle of the bill of the Ministry of Finance entitled “Modernization of the operating framework of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission”, which included the provisions for ENFIA, and for 299 voters, 157 deputies voted in favor, 141 deputies voted against and 1 declared “present”.

The following results were recorded on articles 40-49 concerning the reduced ENFIA, and on 299 votes cast:

Article 40: yes 158, no 116, “present” 25

Article 41: yes 245, no 39, “present” 15

Article 42: yes 268, no 0, “present” 31

Article 43: yes 181, no 7, “present” 111

Article 44: yes 158, no 131, “present” 10

Article 45: yes 181, no 102, “present” 16

Article 46: yes 181, no 0, “present” 118

Article 47: yes 277, no 7, “present” 15

Article 48: yes 268, no 16, “present” 15

Article 49: yes 181, no 7, “present” 111.

Amendments were also accepted for the subsidy of fuel consumption costs (ND yes, SYRIZA yes, Movement for change yes, KKE present, Hellenic Solution yes, Day 25 present) and for the obligation of companies in the chain of cereals, flour, vegetable oils etc. their stocks on an electronic platform (ND yes, SYRIZA no, Movement for Change yes, KKE no, Hellenic Solution yes, MERA25 no).

In his closing speech, the Minister of Finance Christos Staikouras reiterated that the government, consistent in its pre-election commitment, reduced ENFIA by 35% on average, and that this reduction is permanent, mainly for the middle class that SYRIZA “over-taxed”, and for the lower income strata.

Greek citizens will pay about 900 million less ENFIA this year than they paid under the SYRIZA government, and 360 million less than last year, he continued. “This is another proof that this is a government of social liberalism, economic efficiency and social reciprocity, with the mark of the citizen, the popular strata, the middle class and the lower income strata,” Mr Staikouras said. As for the forthcoming elections, he said that their result would show the irresponsibility, the adventurism and the political impasses of the official opposition.

SOURCE: AMPE