Greece to conclude EU/IMF talks on Monday - finmin
ATHENS | Mon Nov 22, 2010 8:50am EST
ATHENS Nov 22 (Reuters) -
Greece will conclude on Monday difficult talks with its international lenders on the reforms it must undertake to meet fiscal targets, the finance minister said.
EU, IMF and ECB inspectors will say in a press conference on Tuesday whether they consider Greece has made enough progress to receive a third, 9 billion euro tranche of aid.
This was one day later than initially planned on what officials said were ongoing discussions to flesh out some of the reforms agreed under a 110 billion euro ($151 billion) bailout that saved Greece from bankruptcy in May.
"Today we are concluding the negotiations with the troika," George Papaconstantinou told President Karolos Papoulias. "They did not stall, we are discussing a series of difficult issues, which need to be negotiated. Like every time, we are trying to safeguard the country's interests."
Papaconstantinou said the talks were focusing on structural reforms including streamlining the public sector and state enterprises, and changing labour market rules to help boost the country's lagging competitiveness.
Greece is set to miss a key target to slash its deficit to 8.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year. It has pledged more spending cuts to catch up in 2011.
In a letter sent to the European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank officials, the Greek confederation of
small businesses (GSEVEE) said the austerity policies were hurting the economy and warned against any further belt-tightening.
"The restrictive policies ... are leading the real economy to a disastrous downward course," the group said in the letter.
"Before it's too late, the policy choices will have to be reconsidered, like the ones imposing further wage cuts, new taxes and especially a further increase of indirect taxes," it said, urging for a cut in VAT rates.
Ireland became the euro zone's second country after Greece to request an international bailout on Sunday to tackle its banking and budget crisis, as Brussels moves to protect Europe's wider financial stability.