PM Mitsotakis in London: Promoting Greek Stability, Dismissing Bank Tax

The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis traveled to London on Monday to attract investors to Greece. During his London visit, the prime minister inaugurated the 3rd Greek Investment Conference, organized by Morgan Stanley in collaboration with the Athens Stock Exchange, this morning.

Speaking from the conference platform, Mitsotakis conveyed a message of fiscal stability to investors, also emphasizing Greece’s political stability. The prime minister stressed the government’s commitment to achieving high growth rates, pointing out that it has a strong mandate to continue pursuing a reform-oriented path to ensure continued progress.

The prime minister specifically referred to recent speculations regarding his government’s intention of imposing an extraordinary tax on banks, by dismissing any such prospect as unfounded.

“The government knows what it wants from the banks and has the means to achieve it. An extraordinary tax on bank profits is not one of them,” he emphasized.

Meanwhile, the Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis, also revealed the government’s policy towards the Greek credit institutions recently stating that it is that of a dynamic one.

However, Hatzidakis further stressed that two principles remain the same. The first one is the conviction that the banking system must be a robust one, especially following the challenges of the last decade, when taxpayers were called upon to bear the cost of resolving issues related to the banking system. He highlighted that any move that could destabilize the banks is unacceptable.

Secondly, the finance minister noted that the banking system must operate under conditions of domestic competition for the benefit of consumers.

“The government maintains ongoing dialogue with society, the business community, and banks to address challenges in the banking sector. There is no reason for concern about the stability or prospects of the banking system. The government has consistently demonstrated a responsible pro-investment stance,” explained Hatsidakis.