By N. Bellos
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Greece’s preparation to exit its third – and last – bailout comes under European creditors’ scrutiny this week and until a regularly scheduled Eurogroup meeting on April 27, with several imperative issues on the agenda, including a brewing proposal to link the country’s annual GDP growth with debt relief.
On Thursday’s EWG agenda in Brussels, Eurozone technocrats will reportedly be presented with Athens’ draft strategic plan for post-bailout growth.
The plan has not officially been submitted to European institutions as yet, although the draft has been dispatched to specific leaders, a Commission spokesman said this week.
Pending issues as part of negotiations to conclude the fourth review of the current memorandum include energy-related partial and full privatizations, and a further liberalization in Greece’s energy sector, which previously operated in a more-or-less state monopoly framework.
A further sell-off of Hellenic Petroleum (Hel.Pe) shares held by Greece’s privatization agency (HRADF), an ongoing international tender to sell a majority stake and the management of the natural gas transmission system operator (DES.FA) and the sale of 40-percent of the state-run power utility’s (PPC) lignite-fired electricity production capacity are closely monitored memorandum obligations.
