At this critical juncture, Greece should implement
social reforms that will, on one hand, take into
account the emergency conditions of the econo-
my and, on the other, depart from the practices of
the past. We cannot merely draft reform strate-
gies on the basis of existing clientelistic practices;
we need new arrangements.
Therefore, for us change is a normal state of
affairs. Our reform strategy involves interventions
aimed at, on one hand, ending stagnation and
moving away from the low equilibrium of the
economy and, on the other, influencing the quali-
tative characteristics of the new equilibrium.
Change has to be radical – not marginal, because
our economy is still in a state of disarray due to
the collapse of its productive capabilities. We
need a shock to revive the economy. And, once
growth is kick-started, the economy’s substantial
untapped capacity suggests that this growth
could be sustained for a prolonged period.
The immediate priorities of our reform drive lie in
addressing the humanitarian crisis and the des-
perate need to confront Greece’s chronic prob-
lems of tax evasion and corruption.
The reform of the public sector is the most difficult
task. We have already begun by streamlining the
government itself. For example, we have already
reduced the number of Ministries.
Moving to a more economic agenda, we seek to
attract investments in key sectors and utilize the
state’s assets more efficiently on a case-by-case
basis, respecting the public interest.
We aim at the balanced growth of all three sec-
tors of the economy. In this context, as I men-
tioned earlier, environmental imperatives affect all
the branches of our economy.
I hope that the message that Greece has entered
a new historic era has become clear.
The road ahead will be full of challenges but, with
the help of our partners, Greece will regain its
poise, exit the crisis, and embark on the process
of inclusive recovery.
*From the speech delivered by the Prime
Minister, Alexis Tsipras, at the OECD.
Trade with Greece
7
