Wall Street Journal
May 16, 2011
Greece's bid for more financial aid for next year and 2013 could hinge on accelerated sales of state assets, according to people familiar with the matter.
Greek government officials are to resume talks with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund in Brussels later Monday to discuss what might become another aid package for the country.
The meeting comes amid concerns that Greece's austerity and reform program has stalled and that Athens will need more help to fill a funding gap over the next two years. But Greece will be expected to play its part.
"Any new money would require a faster pace of reforms and privatization," said Platon Monokroussos, head of financial markets research for EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA, one of the banks advising the government on asset sales.
Athens is expected to identify a funding gap of up to €60 billion ($85.43 billion) over the next two years. EU officials so far have declined to comment on Greece's funding situation or to commit to any future aid until after a June audit of Greek budgets. But more ministers Monday were raising the possibility of more aid under certain conditions.
"Greece first itself has to perform much more actions: more reforms, more austerity packages, the privatization program should be definitely rolled out by Greece," Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager.
More
No comments:
Post a Comment