Parliament: Today the roll call vote for LARCO – The position of the parties

Today, Wednesday, the amendment for LARCO is put to a roll call vote. SYRIZA and the KKE have submitted a request for a roll call vote. The Plenary Session on the bill for the reform of the operating framework of the Financial Stability Fund, started at 12 noon on Tuesday and ended shortly before one o’clock, early Wednesday morning. The focus was on the amendment for LARCO.

Closing the discussion, the Minister of Finance, Christos Staikouras, referred to LARCO, noting that in the last 10 years, from the state budget, only 53 million were given by the current government. “You did not give a single euro to LARCO. You just increased the debts. The employees were paid and you owed everywhere,” said the finance minister, addressing the official opposition headquarters, referring to the financial data for LARCO for the last 10 years. Close to them, Mr. Staikouras reminded that the country was accused of potentially illegal state aid, from 2014 onwards. It was aid, as he said, it concerned

– the non-collection of LARCO debts by the Greek state,

– the granting of a state guarantee by the state, to cover a loan from the Agricultural Bank in 2008,

– the participation of the Greek State in the share capital increase during the year 2009,

– the granting of a guarantee by the State to cover the letter of guarantee of the EIB to LARCO in 2010

– the non-collection of a tax fine in 2010

– granting of state guarantees, by the Greek State, to cover two loans, of ATE to LARCO in 2011.

“These were the six measures on which the European Commission relied to rule that state aid was potentially illegal. The state, and successive governments, came and tried to convince the European Commission that it was not illegal state aid,” he said. The Minister of Finance accused the SYRIZA government of doing nothing to meet the timetables set for the period from 2014 onwards, for the necessary corrective interventions.

Mr. Staikouras also referred to the letter of Euclid Tsakalotos, dated 28.3.2019, in which he stated that the Greek government is open to work effectively with the European Commission, in order to find a solution in accordance with European law. The Minister of Finance pointed out that, in that letter, Mr. Tsakalotos stated that various potential investors have already unofficially expressed their interest in the company as a whole or in some of its assets, as a confirmation of the company’s potential for a return. in profitability.

During his final intervention, Mr. Staikouras answered about the cost of borrowing. “It would be irresponsible for any political leadership of the Ministry of Finance to say that the increase in borrowing costs is not a matter of concern. It is a global phenomenon, it is a pan-European phenomenon, the borrowing costs of all countries are increasing. This proves and confirms the need for visionary “I personally want to thank the Director General of the ODDIH – and prudent fiscal policy,” he said, adding that “today, the cost of borrowing is a response to those who said ‘how much the country borrowed’ and the logic of ‘give it all’. “The country will have a deficit this year. Some in here suggest that the deficit increase, that is, suggest that the country go to borrow at the same time as you say that the cost of borrowing has increased. So, basically, to increase the costs, to increase the interest, to mortgage the future of the country and our children. We are not going to do that. “We will continue responsibly, with realism, to be close to society, next to society, to build a safety net to protect households and businesses, spending more resources than the European average, and to leave the Official Opposition in its delusions,” the minister said. Finance.

The parties

“The amendment for LARCO was submitted on time. It is one of the cases in which the Regulation was observed to the letter”, said the rapporteur of ND Giannis Kefalogiannis and commented: “while we saw that there were long discussions in the four meetings of the Finance Committee, as today more than twelve hours of the sitting, eleven of which were devoted to the LARCO issue, and I mention that because it essentially conceals one thing, namely that all the other provisions of the bill, as at least transparent to both the Committees and the the debate of the bodies but it also appears in the Plenary Session, obviously they received the tacit acceptance of at least the majority of the wings of the Parliament “.

“We expected to see a lot on the issue of LARCO from New Democracy. But we did not expect the same day in which you would vote and worry so much about the bankers’ bonuses, the same day to bring the same dismissal of all employees of the company “, said the rapporteur of SYRIZA Ioannis Sarakiotis. The MP also responded to those who attribute responsibilities to the SYRIZA government, for the situation in which LARCO found itself. “For LARCO, because we did not hear more or less from colleagues from other areas who do not know the issue, that SYRIZA went bankrupt LARCO. Balance sheet 2008: 116 million LARCO losses. SYRIZA probably did not rule in 2008. Balance sheet of 2009: losses, only 105 million euros, not even then, as far as I remember, SYRIZA ruled. “Otherwise, SYRIZA is responsible for the bankruptcy of LARCO”, said Mr. Sarakiotis. “I heard colleagues from ND, from other areas, who praised and are praising the rescue of LARCO. “They probably do not know. They have probably gone to their areas and are celebrating there with the company’s employees,” the SYRIZA rapporteur also commented.

PASOK-KINAL’s special spokeswoman Tonia Antoniou stated that “New Democracy puts into practice a permanent lockout in LARCO with the dismissal of its employees by the special manager. “And during the pre-election period, the special administrator will hire the likes of New Democracy on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.” It is clear, Tonia Antoniou continued that “Maximou SA is the dealer of big interests, the interests that will buy the shares of the banks held by the Financial Stability Fund, the interests that will speculate from the assets of LARKO. of the shareholders of ELLINAIR, a company no longer operating for which the granting of its financial support is established, as in the case of the corresponding aid to AEGEAN, without serious clauses and rights for the State, as was the case with similar aid in other European countries and without any serious documentation to inform the Parliament about the reasonableness of the amount of the aid “.

KKE spokesman Manolis Syntyhakis stressed that while there is a demand from all workers, all trade unions, to withdraw the “amendment of disgrace” for LARCO, the Government with “unprecedented cynicism” condemns the extermination of hundreds of workers. “You are really dishonest. It can not be explained otherwise than what you have heard, with the arguments we have put forward in this Chamber, based on the struggles of the workers themselves, which prove that you want to serve the great by fire and iron. “At the expense of real development for the benefit of the people’s interests. We are very afraid that other companies will have the fate of LARCO”, said Manolis Syntyhakis.

The special speaker of MERA25 Kriton Arsenis referred to the “details of the crime”, for LARCO. “On 21-3-2022, precautionary measures of employees against dismissals, order of the Court of First Instance in favor of precautionary measures. On 5-5-2022 and 6-5-2022 we have the insurance trial, where again a request for postponement is made by the Special Management.What is the result? It is accepted, because the Special Management says that it will be negotiated with the employees , something that does not happen before the new date, on the 17th of the month, you bring this amendment that essentially fires the employees. “Do not make the decision on the precautionary measures, on the process of freezing the dismissals, we will sit down to have a dialogue with the employees” and you brought an amendment before the court decision is issued “, said the expert a MEPA25 and added: “At the same time that you are obviously giving 10 million to ELLINAIR, you are giving 80% less tax on direct transfers to” Elliniko “, which now becomes a Real Estate big project, which sells plots and so on, that is, services to adults fine all obvious. Only when you lay off a thousand employees, the proceedings are done by bypassing all legal avenues, playing justice again and again. We call on you to withdraw your amendment, even at this time. Let the matter be tried in the courts! Why don’t you do it? ”

The Deputy Minister of Finance, Apostolos Vesyropoulos, referred to the tax provisions that have been included in the bill for the reform of the role of the HFSF. “A few days ago we proceeded to the establishment and activation of generous tax incentives for the development of companies through partnerships and corporate transformations. “Increased discounts on green economy, energy and digital transformation for businesses will be provided,” he said, adding that the provision “substantially increases by 100% the “green” economy, energy and digitization “.

At the same time, Mr. Vesyropoulos referred to the provision that defines a special way of determining the value of real estate that is transferred and located in the areas where the process of integration into the system of objective determination of real estate value has begun. “When a property is transferred to an area where the decision to assign certification appraisers has been issued, for the determination of starting prices, then the tax will be calculated based on the value declared by the taxpayer and the citizen has the obligation within three months from the publication of the ministerial decision on fair values ​​to produce a new declaration based on these values, thus enabling taxpayers who acquire real estate, which will soon be part of the objective determination system, to be taxed on the basis of a rationalized “and a realistic framework based on equal treatment,” said the Undersecretary of Finance.

SOURCE: AMPE