Four additional measures included in the law “Measures for a More Citizen-Friendly State” will take effect in the coming days, following the issuance of the necessary circulars and ministerial decisions. As announced by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, these measures will put an end to unreasonable property claims by the government, facilitate property transfers even when debts exist, transform notaries into “one-stop shops,” and advance the codification and publication of circulars on the websites of government agencies.
Specifically, as Kostis Hatzidakis noted yesterday while speaking at a conference titled “The Public Sector Is Changing—New Policies. Measurable Results,” organized by the website newmoney.gr:
- Next week, in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development, an interpretive circular will be issued regarding the regulation that puts an end to unreasonable claims on agricultural properties by the government. These are properties for which temporary concessions have been in place for decades through government administrative acts, land redistribution, agricultural land allocations, refugee resettlement, and so on. As Kostis Hatzidakis explained, in addition to urban properties (e.g., the town of Saronida or the center of Karditsa), the government was also laying claim to farmland that farmers had been cultivating for years. “It is unacceptable for someone to have held temporary concessions dating back to the Venizelos era, only for us to realize a hundred years later that these concessions are no longer valid. At some point, we must put a stop to these excesses,” he stated emphatically.
- In the coming days, the director of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) will issue a decision on the implementation of the new provision, which stipulates that a seizure imposed by the Tax Administration on a property in view of its transfer for consideration, provided that a percentage of the current balance of the debt—which may not be less than 25%—is withheld from the purchase price and remitted by the notary to the AADE.
“The law sets limits to prevent excesses while simultaneously assisting citizens who are paying part of their debt to the State. The Governor of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) will specify the criteria regarding the debtor’s tax compliance and the collectability of the remaining debt, based on which the withholding rate will be determined,” emphasized the Deputy Prime Minister.
- A Joint Ministerial Decision will implement the provision of the law that designates notaries as a “one-stop shop” for real estate transfers.
- A circular from the Ministry of the Interior will be issued in July, providing instructions to government agencies to codify their circulars and post them on their websites. “The law stipulates that from now on, circulars will not be valid unless they are posted on the ministries’ websites. This is to ensure transparency and so that citizens are truly citizens and not merely subjects,” noted Kostis Hatzidakis.
Other measures have already been implemented, such as the website politis.gov.gr, through which interested parties can track the progress of their cases with the government. Additionally, the State has refrained from filing appeals in court cases of particular social significance—a measure applied in the case of the Tempi accident—and has allowed supporting documents to be replaced with a sworn statement.
The Deputy Prime Minister also noted that today, at a joint press conference with the Ministry of Rural Development and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), the progress of agricultural subsidy payments will be presented. “A few days ago, farmers were paid for the first time without any complaints. And for the first time, actual producers saw more money in their accounts because we have a transparent system that is evidently supported by the mechanisms of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. And this is a step forward,” he noted.
“The country must move forward,” concluded Kostis Hatzidakis. “And for this reason, I believe that I have no right—to myself or to my conscience—to compromise with populist practices and the logic of inaction. When you take on a public office, you must know that in the end, neither weddings nor baptisms nor public relations will remain. What remains is the work.
There’s no need for arrogance or indignation. What’s needed is patience, seriousness, dignity, and doing what the prime minister has appointed you to do—and what your conscience tells you. Citizens aren’t naive; in the end, they understand.”