Greece and Creditors Spar Over Legislation Changes
31 May 2016 - 11:50AM
Dow Jones News
ATHENS—Greece is arguing with its international creditors about
a few small but politically sensitive measures creditors want
implemented before they release some €7.5 billion ($8.4 billion) of
badly needed bailout funds.
A teleconference between Greek officials and representatives of
the country's lenders failed on Sunday to reach agreement on
whether and how Greece should amend recent legislation to comply
with the conditions of its bailout program.
Creditors, represented by the European Commission, other
eurozone institutions, and the International Monetary Fund, say
Greece must make specific changes to recent laws on areas including
banking regulation, retiree benefits, and privatization. But Greek
Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos has written a letter to the
commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank saying his
government can't carry out all of the lenders' demands, according
to Greek officials, citing political obstacles.
Greece needs its bailout funding by mid-July at the latest, when
it must repay heavy debts, including bonds held by the ECB.
Considering the amount of legislation that has already passed, it
is unlikely the deal would be scuttled over the issues.
The government, however, was hoping to reach agreement with
lenders by Wednesday, when the ECB's governing council is due to
meet.
Athens wants the ECB to once again accept Greek government bonds
as collateral when it lends money to banks—a move that would boost
Greek banks' access to cheap liquidity and, indirectly, the Greek
economy. But the ECB isn't expected to take this step until the
remaining disputes over Greece's bailout compliance are
resolved.
Last week, eurozone finance ministers and the IMF struck a deal
that put aside for a while their differences over how to manage
Greece's debt burden. But first, creditors decided, Greece must
deliver fully on its policy promises under the bailout.
Among other items, lenders want Greece to free up the sale by
banks of soured loans backed by state guarantees. Athens wants to
temporarily exempt this category from a broader sale of banks' bad
loans.
Creditors are also sparring with the government over a special
benefit for low-income pensions known as EKAS, which Greece has
promised to scrap. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in parliament
last week that he won't ask pensioners to repay the EKAS benefits
they have already received this year. But creditors want that
decision reversed, saying it creates a budget gap of around €100
million.
Lenders also want Greece to change a new law that sets up a
state privatization and investment fund to give the fund's managers
more legal protection against being prosecuted over controversial
deals.
The demand follows the recent prosecution of advisers at
Greece's existing privatization authority over the sale and
lease-back in 2014 of 28 state properties. Prosecutors allege the
deal harmed the Greek state's interests. Creditors also want these
advisers to be protected against pros.
A further sticking point concerns a two-year pay-and-promotion
freeze for some state employees including soldiers, police
officers, judges and diplomats. The freeze was previously agreed to
but has since been challenged by some within the Greek ruling
coalition.
The government said the measures will go through unless Greece's
Defense Ministry presents by the end of the year equivalent
measures that could cover that gap. But creditors want the measure
implemented without the provision.
Viktoria Dendrinou in Brussels contributed to this article.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 30, 2016 21:35 ET (01:35 GMT)
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