OECD: The pace of reform has accelerated in Greece
Structural reforms offer governments a powerful tool to boost economic growth, create jobs and bring about a strong and balanced economic recovery, according to the OECD’s latest Going for Growth report.
This year΄s report assesses and compares progress that countries have made on structural reforms since 2011 and takes a fresh look at reform priorities to revive growth sustainably and boost employment.
According to the report, it shows that the pace of reform has accelerated where it is most needed – in the European countries hardest hit by sovereign debt duress, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
The report draws attention to the more moderate pace of reform in other euro area countries, notably those with current account surpluses, like Germany or the Netherlands. The highest-income OECD countries, like Norway, Switzerland and the United States, and key emerging-market economies are also shown to have made more limited progress on key reforms.
Greece expects rise in arrivals from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus
Early bookings to Greek destinations have increased 400 percent especially from the markets of Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus, according to data released recently by tour operator Mouzenidis Travel, one of the largest Greek companies working with the Russian market.
“Although these bookings represent a relatively small number compared to the total of annual bookings, they are showing a strong upward trend,” the general manager of the company, Yiorgos Masmanidis, said. Last year, Mouzenidis served some 300,000 tourists from Russia and other eastern markets to Greece, Greek Travel Pages reported.
This year Mouzenidis is implementing a targeted pricing policy that includes discounts up to 30 percent on accommodation, in an effort to boost early booking sales to Greece, especially from the Russian market.
According to recent data, Greece welcomed 875,000 Russian tourists last year with the average expenditure per visit at 1,085 euros. For 2013, tourism professionals believe arrivals from the Russian market may surpass one million.
Sructural reforms can boost long-term growth and welfare but also underpin confidence and take some of the pressure off monetary and fiscal policies to buttress the recovery," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. “The road to a strong recovery remains fraught with challenges but measures taken in Europe and the United States have reduced the likelihood of a worst-case scenario." Mr. Gurría said. “We have reached a point where bold and concerted action to get the right mix of macro and structural policies can make an upside scenario a real possibility.”
Capital.gr Monday, 18 February 2013 - 12:27