PM calls on banks to cancel fee hikes

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on the country's banks to recall a series of increases in the fees paid by customers for various transactions during a meeting with their representatives on Thursday.

"You have announced price hikes. We cannot accept that, it is very negative. These hikes cannot be justified, particularly in an improved economic environment. We must remain in the previous framework," he told representatives of the Hellenic Bank Association, according to a press release by the prime minister's office.

Bankers explained that the hikes aim at increasing electronic transactions in which banks "have invested heavily," but pledged to review the prices, especially in areas where there is only one ATM.

The two sides also discussed the issue on non-performing loans, and concluded that the government program titled "Hercules" that aims to help...