Finance Ministry

By Prokopis Hatzinikolaou

The issue of value-added tax on popular Aegean islands has returned to the spotlight as despite the strong denial by the prime minister?s office of an increase in the rate, also citing legal problems, the government spokesman returned to the subject on Monday, telling radio station Real FM that ?this is a topic that is in open consultation.?

BELGRADE - In the first three months of the year, the budget deficit of Serbia was lower by 2.5 times than originally planned, show the official data of the Finance Ministry.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis confirmed to International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde on Sunday that Athens will meet the 450-million-euro debt repayment to the Fund on April 9.

By Sotiris Nikas

The new property tax that will replace the existing Single Property Tax (ENFIA) will likely have a very low tax-free threshold of between 20,000 and 30,000 euros, according to the Finance Ministry’s latest plans.

A meeting between the PM and the government’s top economy committee a few days before the 9th of April lasted about three hours.

The Finance Ministry is planning a new real estate tax scheme aimed at replacing the controversial single property tax ENFIA that had been introduced by the previous government. Ethnos daily newspaper states that the new tax system will have a low tax limit for property under 50,000 euros and will rise according to the price of the property and family situation of the owner.

Greece is revisiting the possibility that it might be able to get some of the 7.2 billion euros remaining in bailout funding in return for part of the reforms being demanded by creditors but Kathimerini understands that the eurozone does not believe this option is available.

By Sotiris Nikas

Fresh confusion reigned on Thursday as a result of the government?s target for the primary budget surplus and new measures for 2015, as proposed to Wednesday?s Euro Working Group teleconference.

Eurogroup Chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said on Thursday that there is still a "long way to go" before an agreement can be reached with regard to Greece's aid proposals.