TEF

From defense to attack. This was essentially the message the Prime Minister gave from Thessaloniki and this was the “instruction” he gave to the government officials from now on.

Because as I learned, the polling decline shown by the government, not even having an opponent from the left of its bases, has clearly shown that the communication policy being followed is wrong.

End, then, to “empathy”, end to “sympathize” with the problems of everyday life and “business” to promote those who have succeeded.

There was a lot of grumbling

That many MPs accepted the whining of freelancers was something we knew and the column had mentioned it many times.

That this grumbling was also prevalent in Maximos is something we have seen, but we confirmed it this weekend.

As my source in Megaro mentioned, “well… we got this extra 440 million… did we need them so badly in the budget?’

And the answer was no.

That is why the prime minister proposed a more positive attitude for the self-employed. For a start with the complete abolition of the pretense fee.

Measure from 2019

Of course, those with a slightly better memory will remember that this was an announcement from 2019.

And those who do even better in mathematics will very easily conclude that in the end this relief is distributed only close to 300 euros per year.

Why? Because the burden of proof is greater.

We await the specialization

In any case, within the next few days we will have the specialization of the measures.

The first impact was made and the necessary communication “improvements” will be made.

That is why I learn that there will be more than 100 new specialized measures.

They are looking for the person responsible!

We may also have some news to unblock public investment payments, about the delays of which there is also much grumbling.

Of course they must first find out who is responsible for them… still no one knows!

The mysteries of Thessaloniki

One more thing we’ll be waiting to learn is the durability end.

That is, the fee for hotels and rentals through platforms.

The revenue from the fee will go back to the local communities to better organize their infrastructure against the burden they receive every summer.

Yes… but

I remind you that for this end the reactions from the tourism industry are enormous.

Not because they don’t want to contribute to improving the infrastructure of local communities.

On the contrary. But they propose other solutions, also known to the government.

Competitiveness

On the other hand, they know that when the cost of daily accommodation increases, then competitiveness decreases.

After all, the competition with the rest of the Mediterranean countries is not small and this summer, let’s not forget, the tourist expenditure decreased, even if we had higher prices.

This means that tourists have become tighter and the operators know it better than anyone.

In fact, for the first time they have started talking about a 10-15% drop in traffic for 2025.

Investments in land…

I will therefore not be surprised if there is some compensation in terms of accommodation.

Just as I was not impressed by the 600 million euros that the government will throw in to increase “greenhouse cultivation”.

It was certainly a bit sudden, for many, the government’s interest in investments in the primary sector.

We had learned in benefit and tax relief policies.

Israeli interest

I looked it up a bit more, specifically about the announcement of the idle public lands exchange and consideration.

In fact, the prime minister said that they will be undertaken by local investors, building large-scale greenhouses exclusively with high-value export agri-food products.

Until recently I knew that it was Spyros Theodoropoulos who had an active presence in the industry.

Now I have learned that there is strong Israeli interest.

That is why the government is rushing to satisfy it.

Social housing instead of Silicon Valley

Which of course she didn’t do with her CHROPEI property. And hence the admission of failure by the prime minister.

“We found that there is no particular interest from the market to become a technology park. We will therefore turn the CHROPEI project into a large social housing project”, he said characteristically.

Of course, your OT had already mentioned this.

That if there is no drastic change in terms, then no company is going to deal with the specific project.

Opera and it happened.

What didn’t I hear…

What I expected to hear and didn’t hear was more action on the housing crisis.

Loans are given on favorable terms for the acquisition of homes, but let me tell the government that “new couples” (because only couples are another question again) are looking for houses and can’t find them!

There is an exemption from rent tax for landlords who rent closed properties, but do these landlords coincide with other tax charges? Like those of freelancers?

We didn’t hear anything about the servicers

I’m not rushing, maybe the government will say something about the specialization of the measures. But, since part of the problem is the supply of real estate, maybe he should also look a little at the issue of real estate that servicers have in their portfolios?

Because no one knows the inventory that remains unexploited, or is trapped in barren auctions.

Back to… normalcy

I don’t know how much the prime minister managed to convey the message that he will make the everyday life of the citizens better. He probably didn’t make it…

But at least some gave the message, and as everyone understands, this is one of the strongest guarantees of success.

I am clearly talking about Alexandros Exarchou, who in his interview with OT said the obvious.

That the branches of Attica Bank will be open to the public and to serve the public without an appointment.

You will tell me… why am I mentioning this?

Anyone who has tried to go to a branch of a systemic bank just to ask about their account balance… knows why I say this!

It will be like the old banks…

Of course, Eleni Vrettou also gave the first samples of the new Attica Bank-Pagreetia joint bank in Thessaloniki, where together with senior executives from both banks, she welcomed for the first time the top businessmen of Northern Greece.

Attica Bank is strengthening its ties with the business world, with its chief pledging that the difference at the new bank will continue to be made by people and the service they offer.

This philosophy also includes the bank’s collaboration with SEVE and Export Credit Greece for the new pre-financing product for export businesses with favorable terms.