Staikouras: Drawing up of 2021 draft budget extremely difficult this year

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said on Wednesday in an interview with Open TV that the drawing up of the 2021 state budget will be very difficult due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

"Amid this uncertainty, it is very difficult to draw up specific policies with permanent characteristics," he said.

Asked on possible tax reductions in 2021 state budget, the minister said that "we do not know how long the crisis will last" adding that measures will be included in the budget in order to mitigate the repercussions on households and businesses.

According to Staikouras, the government is oriented to a mixed system of obligatory and voluntary reductions on rents in specific sectors while the suspension of tax and contribution payments will be extended to March 2021.