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Friday, 28 July 2017

Greek start-ups defy econ crisis to attract investment, int’l attention; Quizdom recently bought by Germany’s friends4media

By L. Kalamara [email protected] The eyebrow-raising figure of 200 million euros has been invested in Greece-based start-ups between 2010 and 2016, a development that borders on the stunning when considering…

Start price for 7 nationwide broadcast licenses set at 35 mln€ by independent authority

The start price for seven nationwide broadcast licenses in Greece was set on Friday at 35 million euros by an independent watchdog authority, according to a letter sent to the…

Greek revenue bureau eyes audit of 2,500 hotels amid current peak summer season

Greece’s independent public revenues authority has reportedly commence an urgent sample audit of some 2,500 hotels in the country, amid the current height of the summer tourism season. Tax auditors…

ND, 2 other opposition parties withdraw MPs from Parliament debate; charges of ‘tsunami’ of last-minute amendments by govt

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party on Friday followed the Communist Party (KKE) and centrist Potami party by withdrawing its MPs from this week’s Parliamentary debate, with all three parties…

Former minister found guilty in Siemens Hellas kickbacks, bribery case

An Athens appeals court on Friday found a one-time minister in a late 1990s socialist PASOK government guilty of money laundering charges. The court ruled that 450,000 deutschmarks transferred by…

Dozens of measures, reforms due in Sept. in order to conclude third review of current bailout program

By T. Tsiros [email protected] With a more-or-less successful first foray into the capital markets since 2014 this week behind it, the leftist-rightist coalition government in Athens now has a full…

Thursday, 27 July 2017

Opposition leader blasts PM a day after TV appearance

The political thermometer equaled the temperatures in downtown Athens this week, with main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis referring “impudence” and “arrogance” on the part of Prime Minister…

Six high-rise towers included in massive Helleniko real estate development master plan

By T. Igoumenidi [email protected] Six high-rise buildings (above 200 meters from the sea level) and various types and sizes of cutting-edge residences are an integral part of the Helliniko real…

Titan cement group issues H1 2017 financial results

Titan cement group on Thursday announced H1 2017 financial results showing a 6.9-percent increase in consolidated turnover compared to the same half of 2016, as the former reached 773.8 million…

Circular clarifies which businesses must offer payment via POS terminals

The general secretariat for trade and consumer protection, a state entity, on Thursday issued a circular to try and clear up which categories of self-employed professionals and businesses in the…

BoG: Bank deposits in Greece up by 771 mln€ in June

Greece’s central bank on Thursday announced that deposits in domestic banks by households and non-profit institutions increased by 771 million euros in June, compared with a decrease of 214 million…

FT: New Greek bond fifth most traded euro debt; nearly half of investors from US, followed by UK

FT on Wednesday reported that Greece’s five-year, three-billion-euro bond on Tuesday was the fifth most-traded euro-denominated sovereign debt in Europe. According to the international media provider, in an article bylined…

Another instance of mass transit vandalism by self-styled anarchists reported; hours after Parliament security breach

The latest instance of anarchist-related violence occurred on Wednesday evening when between 10 to 15 sledge hammer-wielding perpetrators smashed ticket dispensers and validation machines at the Perissos electric train (ΙSAP)…

Property owners: Highest ‘AirBnB’ tax imposed by Greek state to reach ‘predatory’ 55%

Greece’s federation of property owners, known by its Greek-language acronym of POMIDA, this week charged that the government is attempting to impose what called “predatory” tax rates on short-term leases,…

Two dead in crash of single-engine plane in central Greece on Wed.

Two bodies were recovered from the wreckage of a small plane that went down overnight outside the central Greece city of Larissa. The two victims had taken off with the…

Prince Charles, Camilla on Corfu this week

Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in the Ionian island of Corfu on Wednesday afternoon for a holiday stay at the Rothschild estate.   The…

Greek gov’t aims to curb prospects for Uber-like services

The leftist government is expected to submit a draft bill in September that will reportedly prescribe the imposition of heavy fines against the owners of private vehicles used to transport…

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

PPC power utility eyes expansion into massive Turkish market

By K. Deligiannis [email protected] The management of the state-run Public Power Corp. (PPC) on Tuesday unveiled a plan to expand activities to neighboring Turkey, the biggest electricity market in the…

Greek

An across-the-board interview by the IMF’s mission chief for Greece to “N” this week apparently “ruffled feathers” in Athens, with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras charging that the people “who…

Greek PM Tsipras irked by Velculescu statements in”N” interview; says IMF predictions have often missed mark

An across-the-board interview by the IMF’s mission chief for Greece to “N” this week apparently “ruffled feathers” in Athens, with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras charging that the people “who…

Acropolis Museum open until midnight for August full moon; concert also scheduled

The New Acropolis Museum, the country’s most popular and cutting-edge museum, will again mark August’s full moon with special events. Entrance is free. An evening concert is scheduled for Monday…

Extension of deadline for retailers to install e-transactions terminals likely

The relevant finance ministry on Wednesday is reportedly considering a “silent” extension of a deadline for all retail businesses to install electronic transaction terminals (POS) on their premises. A circular…

EBRD signs first project under Greek renewable energy framework

The EBRD on Wednesday signed an inaugural project under its new framework for renewable energy in Greece by subscribing to €28.3 million in bonds issued by Hellenic Petroleum, Greece’s biggest…

Parliament Budget Office: Market exit positive; reform path must continue

Parliament’s independent Budget Office on Wednesday referred to a “positive development” with the previous day’s first exit by the Greek state to test sovereign debt markets in three years. In…

Hellenic Petroleum prices additional new notes placement, raising €79m, with a yield of 3.333%

Hellenic Petroleum (Hel.Pe) on Wednesday announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Hel.Pe Finance Plc, successfully issued new notes priced at 74.5 million euros, which will be consolidated and form a…

Strike by union representing culture ministry staff to keep Athens-area sites, museums closed during weekend

A union representing culture ministry employees has chosen the upcoming weekend, amid the height of the ongoing summer tourism season, to announce a 48-strike at museums and archaeological sites in…

Athens pleased with re-entry into capital markets after 3-year absence

The Greek state’s “debut” in international sovereign debt markets on Tuesday drained three billion euros out of the four billion-euro target it said it wanted, although the overall development was…

Delia Velculescu to “Ν”: Greek authorities still have a “full agenda” before them

By Vassilis Kostoulas [email protected] Greece’s testing of the markets must adhere closely with the current program’s objectives and targets, as the Greek side still has a “full agenda” of reforms…

Tuesday, 25 July 2017

Greek FinMin pleased with Tues. bond issue; reveals second and third forays into capital markets will be attempted

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos expressed his satisfaction with the results of a five-year bond issue concluded on Tuesday, the first by the bailout-dependent Greek state since 2014, months before…

Greek govt thoroughly pleased with Tues. bond issue results

Greek government sources on Tuesday referred to an “absolute success” and a confirmation of the positive course of the Greek economy, immediately after a five-year bond issue offering concluded with…