The newspaper Guardian reported in a recent article that “the Chinese are interested in airports, ports and railway stations. The Russians are determined to enter the energy market and investors from Qatar have made it clear that they want to invest in property.”
The newspaper mentions that “as three years have been completed since the rescue package to the country by the EU, the ECB and the IMF, Greece can start its delayed campaign for privatizations.”
“We have to transmit the message that this is a different Greece,” the Development Minister, Kostis Hadzidakis, said in an interview. “We have to surprise in a positive way. Privatizations will send the message that we are a business-friendly country,” he added.
“Even those who were against privatizations can accept them now,” said the politician. “They understand that privatizing state-owned organisations is a prerequisite to tackling the problem of unemployment,” he added, referring to Greece΄s record jobless rate of 27%. “People can see that the public sector is unable to create new jobs.”
According to the article, China wants Greece to become a gateway to Europe and this is how Cosco’s investment in the port of Piraeus is explained.
“Greece can become a real gateway for investment and trade flows between China and Europe, ” Greece’s Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras said.
The global energy company Gazprom is the favorite for the market for the Public Gas Corporation S.A. (DEPA S.A.) and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic for the Administrator of the Natural Gas System (DESFA) S.A.
The Guardian quotes the leader of the Greek leftist party SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras: “They are trying to convince us that the situation is changing because they are moving to our national wealth’s distribution, which they call a privatization program.” He continued: “What they do not say is that the sales, the change of property by profitable organizations do not constitute to investment and are not going to bring development or jobs.”
“Privatizations are never going to solve this country΄s financial problems,” Professor Theodore Pelagidis, head of economic analysis at Piraeus University, said. “But it is hoped they will eliminate state-linked corruption and increase production efficiency,” he added.
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