Economy Watch |

Moscovici: No bad surprises regarding the Greek budget
There will not be any bad surprises regarding the Greek budget, said European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici on Monday, during a press conference held after the end of [...]

Greek banks ready to agree on a new home protection scheme
Hellenic Bank Association is ready to agree with the government on a new framework to protect first home that will not create any side-effects, Nikos Karamouzis, president of the association said on Monday. Speaking [...]

Greece will have room for positive measures in 2019, Parliamentary Budget Office Coordinator says

Economy
Relaxation of measures while the Press persists to suspicious activities involving Russian money in Cyprus
As of Friday, 2 November, Nicosia partly relaxed its measures on shell companies, at a time when reports in the international press continue to make reference to suspicious activities involving Russian [...]
Economy
SEV: Greece needs a more strict framework on corporate governance
Greece needed a more strict framework on corporate governance, fines on those breaching the law, accountability for auditors and a more frequest release of financial results by non-listed companies, the [...]
Economy
Alt. Social Solidarity Min announces rent subsidy to over 300,000 families
Everyone who speaks of false promises will be proven wrong ahead of all the positive measures the government will bring, including a rent subsidy for more than 300,000 families, the widening of children’s [...]

Economy
Sales of technological consumer products up 5.6 pct in Jan-Sept, survey
Sales of technological consumer products in Greece grew 5.6 pct in the January-September period totaling 1.5 billion euros, a survey by GfK TEMAX said on Monday. The survey showed that sales of technological [...]
Economy
Coastal shipping industry under pressure to raise fares, official says
An increase in fuel prices has significantly burdened financial results of coastal shipping companies, creating pressures for an increase in coastal shipping fares after a decade of stability and discount [...]
Economy
Greek court rejects FF Group’s request for precautionary protection from creditors
A Greek court of first instance on Monday rejected a request by Folli Follie Group to seek precautionary protection from its creditors, paving the way to an expected wave of claims by its creditors and [...]

President Pavlopoulos inaugurates exhibition on Rigas Feraios

Politics
Centrists Union leader Leventis meets with German Ambassador Ploetner
Centrists Union party leader Vassilis Leventis met on Monday with the German Ambassador to Greece Jens Ploetner at his office in parliament. According to a party announcement, the two officials discussed [...]
Politics
After dividing the Greek society, Tsipras attempts to divide the Church, ND’s Kikilias argues
New Democracy (ND) shadow Defence Minister Vasilis Kikilias on Monday sternly attacked Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras accusing him that after dividing the Greek society, he now attempts to divide the Church. Speaking [...]

Politics
Georgiadis: Measures deriving from the citizens’ overtaxation are not positive but negative
Main opposition New Democracy (ND) vice president Adonis Georgiadis claimed that “The government is not credited for the abolition of the measure that only the government has voted for” referring [...]
Politics
ND attack on Archbishop ‘unprecedented’ and ‘unholy’, PM’s office says
The government on Saturday strongly criticised main opposition New Democracy and its leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis over statements targeting Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos on Friday, calling [...]

Coroner’s office: Death of Zak Kostopoulos not linked to substances

Society
Moderate quake jolts Zakynthos
A moderate earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale on Monday shook again the island of Zakynthos. The quake’s epicentre was located in the sea region 66km southwest of Zakynthos with focal [...]
Society
Foreign nationals arrested after showing fake documents to travel abroad
Police arrested sixteen foreign nationals at Heraklio airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” on Crete. The foreign nationals, 11 men and 5 women aged from 18 to 45, attempted to travel abroad with fake [...]
Society
Vitsas reveals plans for development programmes in villages around Moria
The migration policy ministry is preparing a series of developmental programmes for the villages surrounding the Moria hotspot on Lesvos, Migration Policy Minister Dimitris Vitsas revealed in an interview [...]

Society
Ship carrying suspect cargo sinks in seas off Crete after coast guard orders inspection
The 40-metre vessel “Malpas” sank in waters at least 1,000 metres deep off the southern coast of Crete on Saturday, after a coast guard vessel ordered that it be boarded for inspection. Earlier, [...]
Society
First winter snow settles as weather deteriorates across Greece
Snow had settled in the mountains of Pilio near Volos and parts of Western Macedonia and Imathia on Saturday, forcing drivers to use snowchains at higher altitudes, as the weather across Greece took a [...]
Society
IOM report on migration flows to Europe: 124,118 arrivals by sea, Jan.-Nov.
A total of 124,118 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe by sea from January 1 to November 11 this year, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said in its most recent report. Of the total, [...]

Business
CVC Capital acquires 70.38 pct of Hygeia
A block trade of 215.18 million shares, representing 70.38 pct of Hygeia’s equity capital, was completed during Friday’s session in the Athens Stock Exchange. CVC Capital, a US fund, has agreed [...]
Business
Fitch upgrades Alpha Bank covered bonds to BB+ from BB- with a stable outlook
The Fitch rating agency on Thursday upgraded Alpha Bank’s mortgage covered bond programme to BB+ from BB- with stable outlook. According to the rating agency, it had initially placed the programme [...]
Business
Piraeus Bank seeks opportunity to return to capital markets
Piraeus Bank is monitoring developments in capital markets to find the opportunity for a bond issue, in the framework of a capital strengthening plan, Christos Megalou, the bank’s CEO told Reuters [...]
Business
PPC presents plan for transformation into energy services company
PPC on Tuesday presented a business plan designed to lead the electricity utility towards promoting cyclical economy and its transformation into an energy services company. The plan was presented by Ioannis [...]
Business
Attica Bank reports pre-provision earnings of 6.8 mln euros
Attica Bank on Thursday said its pre-tax and pre-provisions earnings totaled 6.8 million euros in the first half of 2018, from 8.4 million euros in the same period last year, negatively affected by lower [...]
Business
OPAP to buy 36.75 pct in Stoiximan for 50 million euros
OPAP Group on Monday announced a new strategic investment. In an announcement, OPAP said its subsidiary OPAP Investment Ltd has signed a pre-agreement for the acquisition of a 36.75 pct stake in TCB Holdings [...]