Androulakis discusses hike of landfill waste disposal fees with Athens mayor Doukas

The increase of the fees for disposing urban waste in landfills dominated a meeting between main opposition PASOK-Movement for Change leader Nikos Androulakis and Athens Mayor Haris Doukas on Friday.

Androulakis spoke of a "financial strangulation of the municipalities" and announced a planned party initiative for this issue, noting that "New Democracy and the prime minister have a huge responsibility because their clientelist handling of waste management and also in the energy planning of the country, which create huge distortions that municipalities - which can no longer continue to shoulder this unbearable cost - are now having to pay for."

Doukas, on his part, said that "unqualified, single-party bodies are arranging the collection of important taxes for the municipalities and citizens. In this way, they "strangle" municipalities. More importantly, this money ends up in bankrupt organisations, which means we are also at risk of bankruptcy, while our citizens have to pay more municipal fees they cannot afford".