New taxes, including a property tax, to save Athens. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou confirmed yesterday that the Greek country is ready to launch a new emergency plan to meet Europe's demands. The goal is to raise 2,5 billion euros to meet the deficit targets requested by the EU and thus obtain the further tranche of community aid agreed in July. Meanwhile, the ECB-IMF-EU troika will return to Athens on Wednesday.
So make way for levies on real estate, on deposits based in foreign banks and further surtaxes on cigarettes and alcohol. The property asset - as specified by Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos - will be 4 euros per square meter and will affect all owned properties. The duration will be two years, starting from 2012. The EU commissioner for economic and monetary affairs Olli Rehn had words of appreciation for the new measures announced by Athens.
