The Greek coalition government is facing public outcry again after the decision not to include the new property tax (ENFIA) in the 100-tranche payment plan. Following the troika’s pressure, Athens will now ask for the ENFIA tax debtors to pay off their debt in 24 installments. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Vice President Evangelos Venizelos met Wednesday and decided to exclude the ENFIA tax from the 100-tranche payment plan, despite promises that they would insist for all debts to the state to be repaid in 100 installments. The decision was taken after the refusal of Greece’s international creditors who suggest that the 100 installments will result in losses of revenues. Now Athens is forced to change the law that was proposed last month according to which debtors to the state could pay off their outstanding obligations in 72 to 100 installments. Specifically, article 51 of the legislation will have to change so that any debts which are not overdue will not be included in the payment plan. That will include the exemption of the ENFIA tax. The amendment will be submitted in parliament within the next few days, finance ministry officials said. The new development is an anti-climax for the coalition after repeated promises that the financial burdens to Greeks are easing. Government officials try to downplay the new amendment saying that debts that are not overdue don’t need to be included in the 100-tranche plan. They also insist that the plan for 72 or 100 installments for outstanding debts will continue to apply. Now the coalition government will have to ask its MPs to vote for an amendment that some of them openly oppose to.
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