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Troika, Kyriakos Mitsotakis to continue talks after Friday meeting

Troika, Kyriakos Mitsotakis to continue talks after Friday meeting

A meeting between Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the EU-IMF troika representing Greece's creditors ended without a final agreement on Friday, with the two sides announcing a second round of talks.Government sources said that the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) representatives had acknowledged the progress made in terms of public-sector lay-offs and restructuring, such as in meeting quantitative targets for 15,000 mandatory lay-offs from the public sector in 2013-2014.



The ministry also presented the results achieved in implementing the availability scheme, where public-sector staff are suspended and placed in a labour reserve pool on partial pay until they are either transferred to another public-sector post or their dismissal is finalised according to ANA-MPA

More than 21,000 employees have entered the reserve pool so far, taking into account the 9,000 employees of the recently shut down National Organisation for the Provision of Healthcare Services (EOPYY).

Troika officials were apparently satisfied with the acceleration of disciplinary proceedings within the public sector and a reduction of administrative burdens in 13 sectors of the economy, in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The minister also presented planned legislation to simplify administrative procedures and cut down bureaucracy, as well as the progress in the assessment of public-sector employees.