EU-IMF auditors talks reform, elude protest in Greece

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EU-IMF auditors talks reform, elude protest in Greece

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EU and IMF auditors met Greece Transport Minister to discuss restructuring public transport.

01 October,2011 05:45 am

EU and IMF auditors held talks with Greece Friday, focussing on reform of the transport sector and the countrys justice system as part of efforts to stabilise the countrys finances and release another installment of debt aid.The Greek press agency Ana said the auditors met Transport Minister Yannis Ragoussis to discuss restructuring public transport, including the part privatisation of the national rail service.After the closed door meeting, Ragoussis said he understood the need to not give in to corporatist demands, referring to mass protests by angry taxi drivers opposed to deregulation of their industry.Fridays meetings were delayed and moved to secret locations after several dozen civil servants, protesting cuts in public services, occupied several ministries to block entry to the auditors, whose green-light is needed to unblock EU-IMF bailout funds desperately needed in the next few weeks for Greece to stay solvent.Protestors greeted the auditors at the justice ministry, where talks with officials were to focus on accelerating Greeces notoriously slow justice system.The government acknowledges that delays can be so long as to encourage widespread corruption and disobedience, especially in terms of taxes.The auditor meetings are taking place just as the Greek parliament is about to debate a law deregulating the taxi sector, opening it to competition.The measure has provoked the anger of small taxi operators who fear the arrival of big business to their sector.The conflict between government and taxi drivers has lasted for months while public transport work stoppages have regularly brought Athens to a near standstill.