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Samaras Relents, Farmers Offered Concessions

Greek political leadersA meeting of the political leaders of Greeceā€™s tripartite coalition government has reportedly agreed to relent to demands of protesting farmers to roll back Value Added Taxes on their products and equipment and give them cheap nighttime electricity as part of a package of concessions.
The website Zougla reported that the government would reduce the tax in the agricultural sector although it had not done so for other businesses, such as restaurants which are being hammered by a 23 percent VAT rate that is hurting their businesses.
The newspaper Kathimerini said the farmers were also offered a 30 million euros ($40.5 million) increase in the rebate of a special consumption tax on fuel, the swifter return of 300 million euros ($405 million) in VAT and the extension of an early retirement program for farmers over 65. There had been no official response by farmers to the package by late last night.
Prime Minister and New Democracy Conservative leader Antonis Samaras met with his partners, PASOK Socialist head Evangelos Venizelos and Democratic Left chief Fotis Kouvelis the same day the Premier issued a second civil mobilization order in two weeks, this one forcing striking seamen to return to work after six days. Also present were Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras, Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis and Agricultural Minister Athanasios Tsaftaris.
That followed a similar order against striking Metro workers in January to end a nine-day strike. Despite making some protests, Venizelos and Kouvelis have agreed to the orders and said they would support the government whole-heartedly. While he played tough with the seamen, who haven’t been paid for six months, and the Metro workers, Samaras reached out to appease the farmers and quell rising social unrest, Kathimerini noted.
Venizelos said a broader program had been devised to help farmers but offered no details. ā€œWe spoke about the real economy,ā€ he said. ā€œWe have to be fair so that more people can pay less,ā€ he added without explaining what he meant.
Kouvelis said he had answers too but didnā€™t say what they were apart from reforms about manufacturing from raw agricultural products and that he had some plans to help the unemployed too but didnā€™t elaborate, Proto Thema reported.
He admitted the three hadnā€™t made any headway about rising dissent from Members ofĀ  Parliament over a unified tax plan that would combine property taxes with a 100 percent surcharge that now is being put into utility bills under the threat of having power turned off for non-payment. That was supposed to be a one-year tax but has been instituted for two years and critics said seems set to become permanent.
Leftist opposition parties were vehement in their criticism of the governmentā€™s civil mobilization order. SYRIZA spoke of ā€œa democracy under siegeā€ while Communist Party (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga remarked, ā€œIt was the government who put the gun to the heads of the seamen but the bullets were provided by shipowners, hoteliers and the owners of large tourism enterprises.ā€
The seamen were ordered to return to work despite not being paid. They are also fearful of changes that they said could lead to layoffs and firings, although the government said ferry boats and ships don’t need as many crew members during the winter months.

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