The so-called Greek Christmas table will be cheaper this year compared to 2013, but despite the Christmas mood in the market, consumers are negatively affected by the uncertainty caused by the current political climate, Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants (GSEVEE) president Giorgos Kavvathas said on Wednesday in an interview with ANA-MPA. Kavvathas was also pessimistic over the possibility of market recovery during the Christmas period. As he said, prices have been significantly reduced and the so-called Christmas table, in many cases, will be cheaper than last year. However, he stressed the crucial role of the current political situation ahead of the Greek election of a President of the Republic, and how it is perceived by the majority of the citizens-consumers. Kavvathas noted that the climate affects the citizens’ psychology and added: “We are entering a period of uncertainty as to what will happen. This reduces the households’ spending during the Christmas period. Besides, the opening of the stores on Sundays did not deliver any special results,” he underlined. Kavvathas said that the 100 or 72 installment debt settlement is “generous, but delayed by two years.” Private debt, especially that of the businesses, has reached such levels that does not allow the majority of entrepreneurs to make use of it. Moreover, he estimated that there is no growth prospect “neither in the country’s economic situation nor the budget, in its current form. Any possible prospects are based on the hope that there will be an 11.7 percent increase in investments in 2015″ and wondered who will invest in a country whose banking system does not support business efforts.
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