Political clashes over the economy heighten

The Finance Ministry seems to want to push the PASOK parliamentary team to the edge; as the Vice-Minister of Finance Philippos Sachinidis stated “we respond immediately to innuendos or direct implications”.

His stance was preceded by one of Ms. Vasso Papandreou's who said during the meeting of the Finance Committee which discussed the bill for Deposits and Loans Fund and summarizing the criticisms of other members on the new role given to the PDMA (Public Debt Management Agency): “I hope the leadership of the ministry can provide explanations, either to the Committee or to the House, since there is an impression that a self-serving institution is being formed.

Mr. Sachinidis replied: “I do not like innuendos or directly implied comments. The government is not willing to sustain opacity in public debt and cash management”.

He also explained that by drafting the law, the goal is to make the PDMA more effective than the General Accounting Office. It is a matter of transparency, but also of effective management and risk calculation.

The sequel to this clash is awaited with great interest, since while the Secretary was making implications, Ms. Papandreou had left the room.

Mr. Sachinidis, however, failed to respond to Mr. George Floridis, who stated that he stills has reservations about the ministry’s intention to move the D49 service (it manages the assets of the Greek government) from the General Accounting Office to the PDMA, while he also underlined that “it leaves me icily indifferent if the ministry’s view is that this move is being made because it is also made abroad. If we want to make such a move, we must adequately explain it and convince others about it”.