A race for 47,6 billion ratified by SDOE…

Giorgos Papakonstantinou is giving the signal for a wild tax hunt and cataclysmic changes to the collection mechanism, by choosing to place the SDOE secretary, Giannis Kapeleris in the post of Secretary General of Tax and Customs (substituting Dimitris Georgakopoulos).

The aim is to collect by the end of the year the 47,6 bil.left to cover the 15% shortfall that was recorded in the first two months of 2011.

The “bet” of the Finance minister from now on is to prove to the Troika and the Greek public the tax collecting system can and will operate better than it did during the 1,5 year of his being in office. This was the also the IMF message on Monday, which was set as a condition for the next installment.

To achieve this, he is counting heavily on Kapeleris’ success, risking perhaps to some extent the positive image that SDOE has created so far. 

In the background of Georgakopoulos’ succession, the minister sought someone with the “know how” of the system, who will also be able to immediately use the proper ministry mechanisms without taking months to learn the lay of the land.

He looked for people with knowledge and experience in the ministry, who are also “above suspicion” and could not be touched by “implacable friends” and colleagues of the sector.

These criteria were met by Gianis Kapeleris, who comes from the tax industry (although no longer belongs to it after he resigned to assume the duties of special secretary).

But the difficulties remain, since a whole sector is feeling strong displeasure, not only about the downsizing of their salaries, but also the often-degrading treatment by the leadership of the Ministry of Finance.

But time is of the essence and after the negative impact on tax collection in the first 2 months of 2011, a supreme effort is required in order not to waste any more time closing the gap.