In their question, the sectoral head and the deputy sectoral head of Rural Development of SYRIZA P.S. as well as party MPs, refer to the “disruption” caused to farmers by the frivolous granting of advances to the areas affected by the disaster.
Read in detail the views of SYRIZA P.S., as reflected in the relevant question addressed to the Ministry of Rural Development.
In a question we tabled today, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Development St. Arachovitis, the Deputy Head of Section O. Teligioridou and SY.RIZ.A. MPs - MA of the areas included in Article 42 of Law 4737/2020 - Government Gazette 204 A’/22.10.2020 and affected by cyclone “IANO”, we ask that first of all the affected farmers be informed about the precise timetable for crediting advances to all without exception.
We should point out that the initial public promise of the President of ELGA was to provide an advance payment to those in the 100% damage category as well as those in the damage category above 50% and below 100%, which did not materialize for unknown reasons.
In practice, and while October is over, the first €24.6 million have already triggered complaints, protests and upheaval among farmers in all the regions hit by the cyclone.
For example, on the one hand, there are areas with 100% losses and have not received an advance payment, while, on the other hand, there are producers who have received an advance payment and appear to have harvested increased kilos of their products.
Also, as the producers themselves testify, there are instances in various regions where one field with 100% damage received an advance payment and the field next door, with exactly the same damage, did not receive an advance payment.
Thus, it turns out that the haste and the superficiality in dealing, by the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, such a serious issue, resulted in the advances being given only to a portion of affected farmers but in many cases arbitrarily and selectively.
There is no end to the protests from farmers and stockbreeders who have not received an advance payment, do not know why and do not know when they will receive it. But the real day-to-day obligations and needs of the affected farmers are running, and the advance payment is essential for survival and continued production.
However the unrealistic and superficial policy, the injustices that have no convincing explanations and the uncertainty as to when the advance payment will be given to all those affected, are triggering even greater problems and foreshadowing a bad end.
Below is the full text of the Question:
04.11.2020
QUESTION
To the Minister Rural Development and Food
Subject: “Advances ELGA to all farmers affected by «IANOS» farmers”
On 22 October 2020, special provisions were adopted for the areas affected by «IANO» which provide, inter alia, that (a) the maximum annual limit of compensation per parcel of land by ELGA is set at 100% of the insured value of production, (b) ELGA may, until 31 January 2021, grant beneficiaries an advance payment against the compensation to which they are entitled, and (c) further resources are made available - to cover the subsidy of previous years - from the Ministry of Finance to ELGA (L. 4737/2020 - FEK 204 A’/22.10.2020). Although we did not vote against this amendment, we timely pointed out during the debate in the plenary session of the Parliament that it has many problems.
On 26 October 2020 the Board of Directors of EL.G.A. decided to pay advances totalling 26.100.000 euros to farmers affected by «IANOS».
Then, on Friday 30 October 2020, the advance payments of €24.5 million in crop and livestock compensation were paid to beneficiary farmers. However, although the payment was rushed and did not follow the dramatic delays of other payments, such as for livestock farmers , the advances were only given to a portion of affected farmers located in areas delimited with an estimated damage of 100%. Thus, only a small proportion of the affected farmers received an advance payment, while the vast majority of farmers did not receive an advance payment of compensation because they have an estimated damage rate different from 100%, and do not know when the advance payment of compensation will be paid.
Moreover, there are already indications that this amendment, which allowed the frivolous granting of an advance payment for the affected areas only, will not ensure the 100% compensation of farmers, since Article 7 of the ELGA regulation, which provides for the deduction of a percentage of damage for the damaging causes and multiplication by the 0.88 factor to obtain the percentage of production compensated, is not suspended.
- Because there is a commitment that by 31 January 2021 will have completed the findings and obligations of EL.G.A. to have paid the affected farmers and livestock farmers from «IANOS»
- Because the difference from 100% damage to 99% or less does not imply a substantial difference in the actual daily obligations and needs of the affected farmers, which are still unchanged
- Because the rapid payment of advances to all those affected is essential for the survival and continuation of production
The question to the Minister is:
- What is the exact timetable for the crediting of advances to all producers affected by the «IANOS» disaster?;
- Is there or not a reversal of the current provisions of the ELGA Regulation by the amendment adopted (Law 4737/2020)? GOVERNMENT GAZETTE 204 A’/22.10.2020) so that on 31 January 2021 there will finally be, as you have committed, the payment of the full amount of the estimated loss?;
The questioning MPs
Arachovitis Stavros
Olympia Teligioridou
Anagnostopoulou Athanasia (Sia)
Vagena-Kilaidoni Anna
Varemenos Georgios
Kalamatianos Dionysios-Charalambos
Lappas Spyridon
Markos Konstantinos
Meikopoulos Alexandros
Moraitis Athanasios (Thanos)
Papadopoulos Athanasios (Sakis)
Papanatsiou Aikaterini
Sarakiotis Ioannis
Psychogios Georgios
