PM: 2013 will be year of Greece's rebirth

This past year was a difficult year and 2013 will not be easy either, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said in his New Year's message, but the prospect of a better future will show up within the year, stressing that 2013 will be the year of Greece's rebirth.

Samaras made extensive reference to correctinginjustices, saying his government was committed to restoring justice. "We shall keep our promise, giving priority to low pensions, to cancelled bonuses for the economically weaker and to taxation, especially the VAT, which remains high," he said.

Jump-starting the economy was this coming year's goal, the premier said, vowing that he would do whatever possible to bring more investments to Greece in order to stop relying on loans and stop being restricted by memorandums. The PM briefly reviewed the reforms his government had pushed through and said these were "changes nobody could imagine a few years ago... Everyone sees the difference now and we shall not stop until we complete what we started."

"Few believed us when we said we would avert Greece's exit from the euro," Samaras noted. "But we succeeded...With the funding we have secured, whatever the state has owed private individuals for years will be paid off within the next few months. Banks are being recapitalised, to be able to give loans to families and businesses. Fluidity will return to the Greek market, and the money that will flow into the Greek economy next year will, for the first time, be more than what is leaving the country because of austerity."

Samaras also stressed that his government brought an end to extensive lack of accountability and justice in the public sector, and warned that "whoever is thinking of continuing old bad habits will find the law's arm waiting for them."

"In 2012 we changed the image of Greece abroad. In 2013 we shall change Greek reality, with an emphasis on recovery and social cohesion," Samaras said. "Having support is good, having strong alliances is good, but we are the only ones who can save our own country, with our labour and with our spirit," the PM added, making special mention of a need for unity, his wish for the coming year. "I wish for unity, which is the most difficult but most effective condition of success," he concluded.

SOURCE: ATHENS NEWS AGENCY