The Best of GRReporter
flag_bg flag_gr flag_gb

The price of the blockages for the Greek economy

28 January 2010 / 15:01:05  GRReporter
2381 reads

14 days continue the blockages of the highways in Greece in spite of the fact that in many places the tractors are placed around the road with only symbolical meaning. The hope which the farmers have is that the country will open the treasury and pay their financial requests. On the other side the government is explicit that they will not step back and bets that the farmers will get tired of the strikes.

The Greek farmers found their followers in the face of the Bulgarian tobacco producers. The Bulgarians decided to close down the frontier post Kulata since today and it is expected that at some point of the day they will meet the farmers at Promahonas.

A great part of the traders in Greece are very angry because of the blockages of the farmers and the first indictments are already a fact. Currently the financial damages for the companies who are part of the Trade and industrial chamber in Thessaloniki are valued at 440 million euro, according to a research made by Palmos Analysis on the account of the chamber claims a publication in “Naftemboriki” newspaper. One in every three companies is saying that it has lost clients or orders have been canceled by clients because of the impossibility of the product to arrive on time. Due to the closing of the Tembi passage these same companies have lost up to the present moment 140 million euro.

The European commission is also criticized Greece, because in spite of the fact that the government knew of the upcoming blockages it has not informed Brussels and the rest of the countries of the community and has not offered alternative solutions for the circulation of goods and services like offering for example roads where the car traffic can pass freely without reaching the blockages. Apart from that representatives of the commission accused the government that since last week the commission has requested a plan for the solution of the problem which has not yet been presented.

The minister of rural development Katerina Batzeli announced that 100 million euro have been approved for the young farmers which will be allocated according to the number of the candidates, which meet the criteria of the program. According to the government the only solution is in the dialog, however at the meetings the stock breeders and farmers did not get to an agreement with minister Batzeli.

The farmers have decided to leave the tractors on the highways until their requests are met. Today are closed the roads at Nikea and Mikrotiva in the Tessalia region, once again the passage through the frontier post at Promahonas is banned, however the highways from Serres to Thessaloniki, and from Serres to Kavala are opened. The farmers from Grevena region have decided to close the crossroad Grevena-Kozani for one hour at 15:30.

Tags: News
SUPPORT US!
GRReporter’s content is brought to you for free 7 days a week by a team of highly professional journalists, translators, photographers, operators, software developers, designers. If you like and follow our work, consider whether you could support us financially with an amount at your choice.
Subscription
You can support us only once as well.
blog comments powered by Disqus