PM Samaras: Greek economy will recover in 2014

The Greek economy will recover in 2014, while the government will present a primary budget surplus and no additional measures will be needed. That was the message sent by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras during his address at the inauguration ceremony of the 78th Thessaloniki International Fair on Saturday.

The Prime Minister noted that while last year the world was discounting the country's exit from the euro, this year everyone discounted the country's exit from the crisis. "The country is leaving the past behind for good. Greece is turning page, its economy becomes more competitive and liquidity returns to the market," Samaras said.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that tax burdens imposed on citizens were unbearable this year, but reassured that next year things will be better as authorities "will ask little from many, depending on everyone's income tax statement". Samaras pledged that the primary budget surplus -after its final assessment- will be earmarked to ease the burdens on low pensioners, heavily-hit social groups, police and army personnel.

He stressed that the goal was to introduce a unified tax on enterprises of 15 pct, while he insisted that a primary budget surplus will be achieve and this will be the first step towards exiting the memorandum. Samaras said that the government presented a primary budget surplus of 1.1 billion euros in the January-July period this year.

Source: Athens News Agency