ENGLISH EDITION

The Deputy Labour Minister noted that «We are also foreseeing a 300 million euros increase to the overall benefit fund to cover the minimum guaranteed income that concerns 270,000 households, the housing benefit that concerns 260.000 families, the birth benefit and the child allowance as well as the allowance for people with disabilities».

On the pandemic and the vaccines, Petsas said that it appears that the first shipment will arrive in Greece in early December. Referring to Ankara's provocations in Cyprus, Petsas said that what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did in Famagusta was exactly what EU told him not to do.

The online map (available through covid19.gov.gr), was activated when the first restriction measures went into effect and is managed by the presidency of the Hellenic Republic. It includes information on infection cases per area, and the measures in effect at that area. The measures are based on a new system of four levels of intensity.

The expectation that 2021 could become the starting point of a new course after the pandemic, with high growth rates, was expressed by Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras, addressing the 3rd Athens Investment Forum, and added that this growth will be funded with 8 tools that thet will help greek economy to recover.

Greece has the fourth largest NPL stock in Europe, as well as the highest rate of NPLs in bank portfolios and is ten times higher than the European average.

Α series of new reports have been published in recent days by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Dutch ABN AMRO and Italy’s UniCredit, where forecasts for 2021 were revised lower.

In order to unlock American investments, especially from technology giants, the government completed several preparatory steps, with perhaps the most important one being the initiative that allowed Greece after many years to leave the "black" list of countries that do not protect copyright laws, allowing public services to use pirated Microsoft software.

With the EU Competition Commission, through a letter from President Margrethe Vestager to the Insurance Workers' Union, indicating that there will be no further extension given to the sales process, everything shows that the sale to CVC is the most likely option.

The IMF called the government's quick response to the pandemic "commendable", saying that "timely implementation of travel restrictions, a ban on public events, and other social distancing measures helped contain the initial outbreak.

Pressure on the prices of older apartments is also coming from the lack of demand for short term rentals as the market adapts to changing economic conditions brought on by the coronavirus and far fewer tourist numbers visiting the country.