By K. Kokkaliara
A pressing “to do” list by New Democracy (ND) – assuming it fulfills opinion poll forecasts and comes in first during Sunday’s general election – cautiously emerged this week, although the center-right party’s candidates and leadership continue to emphasize the need for a strong mandate, i.e. a comfortable majority in Parliament.
A “laundry list” of immediate measures includes the issuance of two pending joint ministerial decisions necessary to finally commence the long-delayed Helleniko privatization, as well as overturning a third last-minute decision issued by the outgoing Tsipras government on Wednesday. The latter was bitterly criticized by the consortium that has won the concession, as it mandates that the culture ministry must approve practically every license to be issued for whatever construction and landscape modification.
Other immediate tasks are a 30-percent reduction in the unpopular property tax, beginning in 2020; slashing the corporate tax rate, beginning with profits earned in 2019; a downwards harmonization of VAT rates in the F&B sector; simplifying a recently instituted 120-month installment plan to cover arrears to the state and pension funds; implementing a low tax rate (9 percent) for incomes of up to 10K euros; halving the current tax on dividends, from 10 to 5 percent, as well as pegging an increase in the minimum full-time monthly wage scale to GDP growth, with the goal being to reach 730 euros (gross) in the next three years.
