The Greek government announced its plans to offer aid worth 1 billion euros to poor Greeks who have suffered during the seven-year debt crisis, after beating its budget targets this year.
“The surplus out-performance which will be distributed to social groups that have suffered the biggest pressure during the financial crisis, will be close to 1 billion euros,” government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos told reporters.
It is not yet clear who would be eligible for; what the leftist-led government calls, a “social dividend.”
The government will make its final decisions in late November, once it gets full-year budget data, Tzanakopoulos said.
Greece‘s fiscal performance this year and its 2018 budget is expected to be discussed with representatives from its European Union lenders and the International Monetary Fund next week, when a crucial review of its bailout progress starts.
Tzanakopoulos reiterated that Athens aims to wrap up the review as soon as possible, ruling out new austerity measures.
Last December, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras unexpectedly announced a one-off Christmas bonus to pensioners, angering foreign creditors.
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