The risk of many affected farmers to be left out of the compensation program of the State Financial Aid of the year 2019, due to the fact that the bank account of insurance contributions for that year has been closed, underlines the Member of Parliament of Laconia and Minister of Rural Development of SYRIZA - P.S., Stavros Arachovitis, in a question to the competent minister.

The relevant press release states:

The staff of ELGA and the Ministry of Agriculture. Development and Food did their miracle again! They called producers affected by natural disasters (tornadoes, landslides, floods) and adverse weather conditions (windstorms, frosts, excessive rainfall, hail, snowfall) in 2019 to make applications but they are not allowed to pay their insurance obligations to ELGA, even though they are encouraged to do so!

The bank account for the insurance contributions for the year 2019 has been closed, so that they can no longer pay their insurance obligations to the banks. At the same time, however, the overdue insurance contributions for 2019 do not appear in the tax office as confirmed so that they can be paid or adjusted!

As a result, while the deadline expired on Monday 28 March 2022, many affected farmers risk, despite having suffered damage, to be left out of the compensation of the State Financial Assistance programme for 2019, as they are unable to repay or adjust the outstanding insurance contributions for 2019, with the responsibility being borne solely by the State and ELGA.

As it seems the staff of the government of the Southwest have no awareness of the criticality of the situation in which the rural world has found itself at their sole responsibility to do the basic things to support them, at least for the damage they have suffered from natural disasters and severe weather events.

In a related Question submitted by the Sectoral Head of Rural Development of SYRIZA-PS, St. Arachovitis, calls for these basic issues to be resolved in time to compensate all producers who suffered losses in 2019.

Below is the full text of the Question:

Athens, 5 April 2022

QUESTION

To the Minister of Rural Development & Food

Subject: Resolution of the issue with unpaid insurance contributions of 2019 to ELGA

The EL.G.A., with its announcement, invited interested parties to submit applications for aid, from Monday 28 February 2022 to Monday 28 March 2022, for all their farms damaged by natural disasters (tornadoes, landslides, floods) and adverse weather conditions (windstorms, frosts, excessive

rainfall, hail, snowfall) during the period January-December 2019. One of the obligations of the affected persons, in order to be compensated, as stated in the announcement, is to have paid the insurance obligations to ELGA for the year 2019, by the last day of submission of final aid applications, which was 28-3-2022.

However, the bank account for the insurance contributions for the year 2019 has been closed and therefore the overdue contributions should have been confirmed to the tax office so that the insured person can pay or settle them.

Because, contrary to what is stated in the notice, the 2019 insurance contributions

can no longer be repaid to the banks,

Because, the insurance contributions for 2019 are not shown as confirmed to the tax authorities so that they can be paid or adjusted,

Because, due to the above, many affected farmers are unable to make repayment or adjustment of the unpaid insurance contributions 2019 with the responsibility to be borne solely by the state and ELGA and as a result they risk, despite having suffered damage, to be left out of the compensation program of the State Financial Aid of the year 2019,

Will the Minister responsible say: