Energy Min Hatzidakis on private debts to PPC: 'Will be pressure on those who pretend to be poor'

"It is obvious that the country will have to move ahead into the post-lignite era," said Hatzidakis, but "there should be a transitional period, and we will try to secure EU funds for this transition," and he underlined that "it is not at all reasonable to operate a (lignite) plant that would cost you less if it was closed and the employees were paid."

Hatzidakis ruled out the possibility of implementing the 120-installments debt repayment plan for private debts to PPC, saying that in this case debts would be paid off in 10 years and 'there might not be a PPC (as we know it) by then.'

"Obviously, many poor people are indebted to PPC, but our own policy precludes pressure on the poor," the minister said, and added that «there is also the welfare power bill rates for the poor."

He did, however, stress that "there will be pressure on those who pretend to be poor when they're not." The energy minister said that PPC has hired a specialized company to look into this as a matter of priority.

The minister said that the previous SYRIZA government "decided to privatize PPC for free," and that SYRIZA "arbitrarily decided that PPC's market share should drop from 90 pct to 50 pct, with nothing in return."

Finally, Hatzidakis highlighted that liquidity injections (to PPC) should be completed by the end of September, before the statutory auditor's (Ernst & Young) report is issued, "so that we can pass the liquidity assessments."

"We must complete a number of PPC consolidations by the end of October, when the troika of financial institutions (Greece's creditors) return to Athens," said Hatzidakis.