investment is estimated at approximately
€
1 bil-
lion, as a PPP project also financed with NSRF
funds (the project will be mainly financed with
resources from the new NSRF). It will cover
Athens, Thessaloniki and more than 25 urban
centres in the regions. In addition:
The transition to digital TV will continue through-
out 2013, in order to ensure the geographical cov-
erage of two-thirds of the country.
A tender for Digital Television Network Providers
will be announced in the first quarter of 2013,
when the tenders for the following projects will be
completed: MAN (Metropolitan Area Network -
broadband) by July 2013; Electromagnetic Fields
Observatory within the first half of the year;
Network Infrastructures Digital Register (a map-
ping of the country’s network infrastructures) by
the end of June; and e-call (for emergency calls)
within the first quarter of 2013.
Urban transport modernization
Further steps are taken for cracking down on
fare evasion and dealing with the deficits of
public transport operators, while the number of
ticket inspectors is increased, through the revi-
sion of the organization charts of OSY (thermal
and trolley buses) and STASY (metro, electric
railways and tram). In other words, a great num-
ber of employees will leave the offices and will
be transferred to ticket sale and inspection. The
contractor for the electronic ticket and the metro
station barriers will be appointed next June, and
the project will be gradually come on-stream
during 2014.
The same applies for the Telematics project, as
the relevant tender will soon be completed.
Moreover, transport services will be certified, for
the first time in Greece, in accordance with the
ΕΝ 13815 Standard, which is implemented in
most European countries.
It should be noted that, from now on, the quali-
ty of transport services will be reflected on the
operators’ state financing.
The first stage of the certification will be final-
ized by mid-March, while the project as a whole
will be completed the latest by September,
along with the reorganization of the transport
system of Attica. The procedure for the con-
struction, as a PPP project, of a new Central
Intercity Bus Station at the Eleonas district will
be launched in the first half of 2013.
The total budget stands at almost
€
120 million,
and the project will gradually come on-stream
two years after its commencement.
Borrowers
By the end of March the government will revise
the regime for over-indebted individuals, in order
to deal with the prolonged pendency of legal pro-
ceedings and ensure the, as fast as possible,
resumption of the debtors’ business activity.
That said, apart from the rationalization and
updating of Law 3869/2010, the government has
proposed the implementation of a relief pro-
gramme for borrowers with annual incomes of up
to
€
25,000. The aim of the programme is to
ensure a 48-month grace period, during which
debtor households can pay an instalment of no
more than 30% of their monthly earnings.
In addition, the government has proposed
improvements in the operation of the TIRESIAS
inter-bank list of bad debtors for both individuals
and businesses, in order to ensure that they are
assessed on the basis of their overall profile and
not any individual setbacks.
The programme is also going to include meas-
ures in favour of non-delinquent borrowers .
Trade with Greece
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