2024-08-01 02:48:41
Speaking to O
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“The bill marks a turning of the page for the Superfund, its contribution to the development effort, better service to citizens in their daily lives and Greece’s relations with lenders,” the minister stressed. Presenting the basic regulations it includes, he raised the following questions:
1.For the absorption of TAIPED and the Financial Stability Fund by the Superfund. “TAIPED has completed most of its mission. I assume you want it to continue to run separately? And the HFSF according to the SYRIZA law would close in 2025. Is your disagreement that you want it to operate for one more year?” he said addressing the official opposition.
2.To limit the powers of the Supervisory Board of the Superfund and to abolish the veto of creditors and the State in the appointment of its members. “What do you wish? Should lenders have a veto? Or instead of the general secretary of the ministry, the deputy governor of the Bank of Greece and a representative of the ODDIX, which the bill foresees that they will participate from the side of the State, do you prefer that the minister can appoint some of his friends?”
3.For the regulation by which 50% of TAIPED’s revenues from the utilization of ports will go to the upgrading of other ports, while with the current framework 100% of the revenues are available to service the public debt. “We negotiated and managed to have 50% go to the utilization of the ports. Are you against that too? Of course, we did not succeed in the negotiation to change the course of history, as some others “succeeded” with a law and an article”, emphasized Mr. Hatzidakis.
4.About the National Investment Fund: “It is a fund established on the model of many other EU countries, it will cover strategic sectors, it will not compete with other funds or large investment initiatives. And it changes the image of the Superfund because it shows that it will not just be a lenders’ fund but a fund that will contribute much more intensively to the development process. I would hope that all parties would support the initiative. Why say no to the state supporting the development process?’ said the minister.
5.Regarding the arrangements for the modernization of the Superfund’s subsidiaries according to the model of PPC, with more flexibility in hiring, attracting executives from the private sector, speeding up procurement, exiting trade unionists from disciplinary boards, Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized: “Let’s decide what the greater good: the “holy” State or the interest of the defenseless citizen? For us, the citizens are clearly above all else.
We need drivers and spare parts on time on the buses to avoid delays. And we are taking trade unionists out of disciplinary boards – I understand that some of you don’t like it – because the role of a trade unionist is not to judge but to defend the rights of workers.
As for the executives from the private sector, I repeat that between the criticism of the “golden boys” and the criticism that I destroyed the companies and with them the national economy, I prefer the criticism of the “golden boys”. We have to listen to the complaints of the average citizen and find solutions beyond bureaucratic molds.”
Responding to the interventions of opposition MPs, Mr. Hatzidakis also noted:
-For PPC: “If it’s such a bad company why are 50% of consumers its customers? If you know their interests better, tell them to go to their competitors. I don’t want to make any other kind of associations for interests.”
-For EYDAP and EYATH: “They entered the Superfund with its founding law 4389 / 2916 on SYRIZA, as a real guarantee for the debt. For this reason, the lenders requested compensation now that the two companies are being nationalized. We managed to get 50% of the value of the companies to go towards debt reduction and the other 50% will be the initial capital of the National Investment Fund”.
“I am waiting”, concluded Mr. Hatzidakis, “from the opposition for the positions on the specific articles. It will be seen in the vote what your attitude is. On the one hand, there is a sterile refusal to change anything, to stick to the SYRIZA law of 2016. And on the other hand, an intervention with a strong reformist color that changes Greece’s relationship with the lenders and marks the passage of the Superfund into a new era . I do not want to believe that the ideologies of some will prevail. It is not worth it in the Greece of 2024”.