“We are at the end of a strenuous effort; we are running through the last kilometres, in the end we will definitely make it,” Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said during a speech at an event organized by the Circle of New Businessmen and Professionals on Wednesday.

“We faced a lot of problems, but the results are now visible. The draft bills on the 100-installment debt settlement and the non-performing loans, which is the largest restructuring of private debt ever made, the struggle to attract investment, the international tenders and alliances for hydrocarbons; these are the pictures of our fight on many fronts,” Samaras said, AMNA reported.
 
“All this is done in an environment of political stability. Entrepreneurship is at the heart of this effort. Our products need to find new markets and compete with foreign products within the country. This is the only way for the country to exit the crisis and build the New Greece,” he added. 
 
The premier also made a particular reference to the fight against bureaucracy. “We have to reconstruct the State’s relationship with the businessman; we make daring decisions and we have been through huge difficulties.” He said the government has taken measures to increase liquidity in the market and simplify taxation, adding that one of the main aims is to reduce tax rates. 
 
Samaras also said the government is making continuous efforts to secure liquidity which is needed by businesses. “We secured 1.4 billion euros in cooperation with the European Investment Bank, we created a system of guarantees for businesses, we restructured the EU funds, we established the Investment Fund to support small and medium-sized businesses,” Samaras said. 

He also said the government is introducing motives to attract investment in Greece and to help startups, while he announced motives will also be proposed to reverse the capital flight from the country. “For growth to be viable, it will have to be based on investments and exports, not consumption. The economic model must change. Greece has to become a producer, not just a consumer. The State needs to shrink its role and provide good social services to its citizens, together with security and defence.”