Giorgos Katrougalos

Political developments in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece have created "a window of opportunity" to resolve the name dispute between the two Balkan neighbors, Greek alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos has said.

A number of clauses in the so-called Katrougalos law on social security, named after ex-labor minister Giorgos Katrougalos who introduced it, remain inert some 20 months later. Although the law is supposed to be in forced in its entirety for a year now, it continues to cause accountants and tax experts headaches and freelancers and self-employed professionals anxiety.

Pensioners who retired after May 12, 2016, do not qualify for the EKAS allowance for those on low pensions, even if they meet all the income and social requirements set for the benefit.

Auxiliary pensions appear headed for a fresh cut in 2018, as the single auxiliary social security fund (ETEAEP) will end 2017 with a deficit, against the small surplus originally forecast.

Crucially, while the ETEAEP budget for next year provides for a surplus of 176.01 million euros, expenditure on pensions will be reduced by 150 million euros.

The social security law introduced by former minister Giorgos Katrougalos in May 2016 has resulted in 111,212 self-employed professionals closing their invoice books for services rendered (known as "blokakia") up to end-November.

Freelance professionals in Greece may declare as low an income as they wish in order to avoid paying taxes, solidarity levies and social security contributions. This year's tax statements showed that 89 percent of them declared annual takings below 7,000 euros. One might assume that declaring a very low income ought to entail lower pensions, but that is not the case.

The Association of Hellenic Air Force Academy Graduates has warned in a statement that the massive drop in army staff pensions - reaching up to 70 percent over the last eight years - has a moral aspect that may compromise the spirit of the armed forces.

The Deputy Foreign Minister, Giorgos Katrougalos and head of the Greek delegation stated during the 12th Session of the Greek-China Joint Interministerial Committee that “[r]elations between Greece and China, two of the most ancient and most important civilizations of human history, are excellent both politically and economically, but there is considerable scope for further strategic cooperatio

The controversy surrounding the government's refusal to attend a conference last week in the Baltic state of Estonia about the crimes committed by communist regimes spilled over into Parliament Thursday with acrimonious exchanges between lawmakers which, at times, got personal.

The Inspectors-Controllers Body for Public Administration (SEEDD) reported this week that there are 4,351 disciplinary cases pending against public sector employees. According to a report in Kathimerini on Thursday, disciplinary councils have still not been formed in many of the state's agencies and where they do exist, they hold very few sessions.