Sweeping Changes in Public Services

Sweeping changes in the infrastructure of Public Services and the Public Businesses of Common Interest (such as the Public Electricity Company DEI a.o.) were decided this Thursday by the Papandreou administration.

Among others, there have been decisions concerning the following:
-The abolition of Country patrol and the transference of all employees to forestry services
-The creation of a council that will decide how much staff is actually needed in Civil Aviation services and to cover the need of new staff (if there is any) from other Ministries
-Transferring 5.416 seasonal firemen into a full time position for five years.
- There is also talk of unifying peripheral airports and possibly allowing them to be rented out or operated by the private sector.
-There was also a discussion about the total restructuring of OSE (Organisation of Train Services) and all other Public Transport Organisations.
 During the meeting the Minister of Finance Mr. George Papakostantinou gave a full report of the economic progress and specified the goals for the next semester.