Brussels, 05/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 4 March, the Eurogroup hailed the way the Greek adjustment programme has been implemented. With the conditions imposed in February now fulfilled (updating the medium-term budget strategy and capping health expenditure), the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) has disbursed a sub-tranche of €2.8 billion. The 17 countries of the eurozone are calling on Athens to keep up the pace so as to pave the way for the payment of the same amount again in March.
According to the Greek finance minister, Yannis Stournaras, the reform of public administration and the reduction of medicine costs constitute the preconditions for the payment of the March tranche. With regard to the issue of public sector redundancies, European Commissioner for the Euro Olli Rehn made no comment - with the troika being in Athens right then. “It's in the hands of the Greek government to see how they will meet the target”, Rehn assured. Stournaras recognised that the goal was a “smaller and more effective” public sector. In his opinion, the 2011 figures for redundancies demonstrate that the 2010-2015 objectives have already been exceeded, the daily newspaper Capital reports. (EL/transl.fl)