2016-2021 plan : Greek PM presents government's plan for "fair growth"

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras presented on Thursday his government's 2016-2021 plan for "fair growth", pledging brighter days for the suffering Greek people after six years of harsh austerity introduced to overcome the debt crisis.

A painful circle closes for Greece following the completion of the first review of the third Greek bailout, he told a forum on development hosted at the Acropolis Museum. Focus will be shifted from now on to growth boosting policies to address the high unemployment rates challenge and redistribute burdens and wealth, he said.

"For first time in the past six years we have a stable macroeconomic, fiscal and investment environment. The main focus now is development and all government efforts are geared towards one strategic target: promoting fair growth," he said.

Tsipras criticized as unsustainable and socially unfair previous growth plans presented by his predecessors until the Radical Left assumed office in January 2015.

Outlining the main pillars of the Left-led ruling coalition's strategy, he talked about "productive reconstruction" and restart of major infrastructure projects across Greece which had "frozen" during the crisis.

He also referred to a series of financing tools available from now in particular to small- and medium- sized enterprises as part of efforts to attract more investments and create "long-lasting and decent" job positions.

The Greek leader pointed to the new development law the parliament approved just a few hours before the event at the Acropolis museum as a key tool in the growth process.

"The new development law foresees total investments of 13 billion euros by 2021," he noted.

The government's goal is to reduce by then to half the current unemployment rates which stand at around 24 percent of the working force, Tsipras added.

The law which was expected to come into effect in September foresees among others taxation incentives for investors and the reduction of red tape.

"It reflects the entire philosophy of our growth planning. It aims at the creation of innovative, extrovert, dynamic enterprises, the support of employment with emphasis on specialized human resources, as well as the increase of added value," he stressed.

"Our growth strategy has one goal -- to put an end to the vicious circle of recession and unemployment," the Greek premier said, closing his remarks.

• During the event he also took a moment to comment on the murder of British Labour MP Jo Cox, who was gunned down and stabbed by a man earlier on Thursday, while she was attending an event at her constituency.

He called on all sides "to pay homage to a politician who died unjustly and to hope she is the last victim at a time when hatred in Europe is rekindled and strengthened against sobriety and political discourse."
 [Xinhua -china.org.cn]
17/6/16
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