Mr Mitsotakis: The new budget really boosts the disposable income of citizens

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the beginning of his regular post with his review of the past week notes that it coincides with the completion of the debate on the state budget for 2024 but leaving for the rest his detailed report on the issue, he starts with the announcements made to address fan violence. «The package of additional actions we announced are aimed at the core of the problem. They aim to rid Greek sport of this gangrene, of the murderous behaviour of criminal organisations and the sad tolerance of a tiny fan minority. Some of you reading these lines - especially those fans who have bought season tickets - may have doubts. I want you to know that I understand your anger and disbelief. But I also want to assure you that no matter how difficult the task may seem, we will continue the fight to put an end to the unacceptable phenomenon of thousands of fans paying for the criminal behaviour of unhealthy minorities who sometimes target citizens and sometimes police officers.».

He then refers to the railway connection on the main axis of Athens-Thessaloniki, which was interrupted due to the damage caused by the sweeping storms «Daniel» and «Elias», stressing that in the first months of 2024, work will begin on the «final restoration of both the main axis and the two other railway sections, Larissa-Volos and Paleofarsalos-Kalambaka, as well as the tourist line of Pelion».

He recalls that the first aid platform for those affected by the September floods has been opened and will remain open until 22 December and that the Small Loans Fund for Rural Entrepreneurship (SBAE) has already been activated, increasing its budget by €40 million (from €21.5 to €61.5 million).

The next issue that the Prime Minister addresses in his post is, as he says, «a development issue, which is none other than the rehabilitation of the Elefsina Shipyards, to tell you that we have successfully closed the cycle of our actions: The European Commission has officially confirmed that the government's plan to “revive” the long-suffering shipyards by transferring them to ONEX is approved, a project to which the shipyard workers themselves, banking institutions and the Greek state had agreed».

Mitsotakis makes special reference to the honorary first place achieved by Greece as it was elected for the second consecutive year in 1st place in Category «A» of the International Maritime Organization for the provision of maritime services, which, as he points out, is no coincidence.

But it also refers to issues related to the field of culture: «In the Aegean Museum of Shipbuilding and Naval Arts in Samos, in the year 2024-2025, a school of woodworking will operate, an art that has been an integral part of our cultural identity for thousands of years. Traditional know-how can be integrated as a modern practice into sustainable business projects contributing to sustainable local development. At the same time, the new year will also see the opening of an IEK for Monument-Exhibit Replicator. Faithful copies of monuments and exhibits in our museums are in great demand by visitors to archaeological sites and museums.».

And it goes on: «Let's move on to another piece of news concerning young people. Now that the application cycle for the Youth Pass has closed, the figures show that 7 out of 10 beneficiaries have finally shown interest. These days around 140,000 young men and women aged 18 and 19 are seeing the €150 in their accounts, and I can say that I was pleased that I may have helped a little with the video about it two weeks ago to sign up 30,000 more beneficiaries!».

In his weekly report, the Prime Minister also refers to the «digital assistant», to news from the health sector (operation of the new Ophthalmology Clinic in Ikaria, a new Psychiatric Clinic at the General Hospital of Serres, strengthening of the ambulance service in the basin with 20 machines and 8 mobile units for emergency pre-hospital care).

Kyriakos Mitsotakis concludes his post with a reference to the budget, announcing that in his speech this afternoon in Parliament he will explain before the National Delegation «why the new budget really boosts the disposable income of citizens, stimulates social cohesion, reduces inequalities and improves the competitiveness of the Greek economy».

«I close today's review with something that personally made me very happy. I had visited Arkius last June and pledged then that as long as there is even one student, there will be a school. Not only does the educational facility exist for the single student, but the tiny island of the Dodecanese now has a playground created with the support of DEPA,» the Prime Minister concluded.

In his weekly review, Kyriakos Mitsotakis states:

«Good morning to all and sundry!
Today, this review coincides with the conclusion of the debate on the state budget for 2024. This is next year's fiscal map that now - after 14 years - bears the stamp of the investment grade, an achievement that is multiply beneficial to the economy and society. I will tell you more about the budget at the end of this post, so that I can leave you with a note of optimism for the day ahead.
But let me start with fan violence. Last Sunday I told you that announcements would follow, and they did. The package of additional actions that we have announced are aimed at the core of the problem. They aim to rid Greek sport of this gangrene, of the murderous behaviour of criminal organisations and the sad tolerance of a tiny minority of fans. Some of you reading these lines - especially those fans who have bought season tickets - may have doubts. I want you to know that I understand your anger and disbelief. But I also want to assure you that, however difficult the task may seem, we will continue to fight to end the unacceptable phenomenon of thousands of fans paying for the criminal behaviour of unhealthy minorities who sometimes target citizens and sometimes police officers.
We place great emphasis on the role of the judiciary and the criminal upgrading of the investigation of all cases of sports violence and corruption in order to search for the natural and moral perpetrators of all the crimes committed and the search for the existence of any criminal organizations in this area. The knot has now come to a head.
I will continue with the news on the rail link on the Athens-Thessaloniki central axis, which was interrupted due to the damage caused by the devastating storms «Daniel» and «Elias». On the Domokos-Larissa section, which was literally dismantled, freight services resumed last Sunday and passenger trains have been running since yesterday. In the first months of 2024, the final restoration of both the main axis and the two other railway sections, Larissa-Volos and Paleofarsalos-Kalambaka, as well as the Pelion tourist line, will begin. The damage was extensive, but the competent authorities are doing everything possible to ensure the rapid restoration of rail services with all guarantees of safety.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the First Aid platform for those affected by the September floods has been reopened, so that businesses, farmers, property owners and households can submit or correct their applications for state financial support. The platform will remain open until 22 December 2023.
In the past few days, we have also activated the Small Loan Fund for Rural Entrepreneurship (SFA), increasing its budget by €40 million (from €21.5 million to €61.5 million), thus actively supporting agri-food businesses, especially those affected by the recent disasters, and at the same time responding to the great interest of the sector's market for loans for investment projects. It is noteworthy that the Fund's initial resources were exhausted in less than six months.
The loans provided - from Euro 3,000 to Euro 25,000 - have a repayment period of 2 to 5 years - a time limit that may be extended. In each loan 50% is granted by the Rural Development Programme and is interest-free, while the remaining 50% is granted by the partner banks. We are working to ensure that our farmers, young and old, stay on the land, invest in a safe and friendly environment, and see their incomes grow.
Now, I turn to a development issue, which is none other than the rehabilitation of the Elefsina Shipyards, to tell you that we have successfully completed the cycle of our actions: the European Commission has officially confirmed that the government's plan for the «revitalisation» of the long-suffering shipyards by transferring them to ONEX is approved, a project to which the shipyard workers themselves, banking institutions and the Greek State had agreed. Thus, a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding was signed yesterday between Attica Group and ONEX Group of Companies for the execution of the shipbuilding programme for the modernisation of the fleet of Attica Group and its subsidiaries, with a total budget of EUR 1 billion, at the Elefsina and Syros shipyards! Importantly, the upgrade of the 45 ships will have a «green sign» in accordance with the new environmental requirements of European and International Legislation. The regeneration of the Greek shipyards of Elefsina and Syros transform the country into a shipbuilding hub for the wider SE Mediterranean region and redefine its productive potential in defence, energy and shipping.
I will stay in the maritime sector. Greece has again achieved an honourable first, being elected for the second time in a row to the 1st place in the International Maritime Organisation's Category «A» for the provision of maritime services, obviously not by chance. It is a performance that demonstrates our country's dynamic and leading role in global shipping, as well as its long-standing and decisive contribution to the shaping of international maritime policy and legislation.
But our culture is also a comparative development advantage, providing the opportunity for well-paid jobs. What do I mean? In the Aegean Museum of Naval and Maritime Arts in Samos, in the year 2024-2025, a school of woodworking will be opened, an art that has been an integral part of our cultural identity for thousands of years. Traditional know-how can be integrated as a modern practice into sustainable business projects contributing to sustainable local development. At the same time, the new year will also see the opening of an IEK for Monument-Exhibit Replicator. Faithful copies of monuments and exhibits in our museums are in great demand by visitors to archaeological sites and museums. That is why we invest in young trained and skilled craftsmen, who can be absorbed in the ODAAP's cast and faithful copy workshops, as well as on the open market in certified workshops.
Let's move on to another piece of news concerning young people. Now that the application cycle for the Youth Pass has closed, the figures show that 7 out of 10 beneficiaries have finally shown interest. These days around 140,000 young men and women aged 18 and 19 are seeing the €150 in their accounts, and I can say that I was pleased that I may have helped a little with the video about it two weeks ago to sign up 30,000 more beneficiaries!
I'm changing the subject to tell you about the «digital assistant» that went live last week and is now available to citizens on gov.
So what does «mAigov» do? It will give you the information you request from the list of 1,608 digitised services that have been integrated to date in the gov, and 3,270 digitised administrative procedures that have been integrated in the MITOS register, and explain the steps that the citizen needs to take to have their request processed quickly. So it is not a search engine, but in a sense, the gpt chat gov. It is the first application to use artificial intelligence in the Greek public sector and one of the first such services in Europe, contributing to the modernization of the state mechanism and the simplification of the daily life of those who rushed to make use of the digital assistant, which in just three days received 61,600 queries! Okay, from the posts I have seen, some people «terminated» it, they even asked mAigov how to find a partner! But unfortunately the public services cannot help in this area!
Now, I have news from the public health sector that may sound small but is very important for the region. The new Ophthalmological Clinic of Ikaria has started its operation, a long-standing request of the island's residents in order to avoid time-consuming and costly trips to Athens for specialized eye examinations and operations.
Further north, in Serres, the Psychiatric Department of the General Hospital acquired a new 1.8 million euro Psychiatric Clinic, which was completed ahead of the planned 18-month deadline. The mental health dimension is central to our public health policies: there is a portfolio dedicated to these issues, which we need to address with respect, tolerance and efficiency. A National Network of Mental Health Services is being created, and our schools are being strengthened with psychologists and social workers.
And a valuable reinforcement of the ambulance service in the basin with 20 machines and 8 mobile units for emergency pre-hospital care provided by the Region of Attica with funds from the regional health programme. At the same time, the partial delivery of 52 new ambulances began - «an investment of a lifetime», as was rightly said.
And now let's talk about the budget! I hope that during these days of debate in the Parliament, you have had the opportunity to be informed about the situation of the Greek economy and its prospects, to judge policies that are already in place and those that will be implemented in the future.
In a few hours I will explain before the National Delegation why the new budget really boosts the disposable income of citizens, stimulates social cohesion, reduces inequalities and improves the competitiveness of the Greek economy. In short, it is worth telling you that it is the first since 2010 that includes increases in the salaries of public servants, with permanent tax cuts for all amounting to €1.6 billion to counterbalance inflation, and restores the three-year pay freeze that has been in place since 2012. I was even informed that a large retail chain with thousands of employees has already announced a new pay plan for its employees recognizing the three-years for the period 2012-2023 leading to a 5.2% increase in their salaries.
Permanent income growth is the most effective response to inflationary pressures. And according to Eurostat data from the day before yesterday, it is confirmed that the average hourly wage in our country increased by 7.3% in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter of 2022, after an increase of 4.8% in the second quarter, reaching its highest level since 2009. Cumulatively since the third quarter of 2019 the increase is 20.2%.
In short, the growth of the economy is returning to the workers. That is why the 2024 budget is growth-oriented and socially sensitive, without straying from the rails of fiscal consistency.
I close today's review with something that personally made me very happy. I had visited Arkius last June and pledged then that as long as there is even one student, there will be a school. Not only does the educational facility exist for the one student, but the tiny island of the Dodecanese now has a playground created with the support of DEPA. May the island community grow and fill this beautiful space overlooking the endless blue of our Aegean Sea with many children's voices.
Thank you very much for your time!».