A recent Greek government plan to return Thessaloniki’s public transport company OASTH to state control is part of an effort to rid strategic sectors of the Greek economy from oligarchs and monopolies that abuse state aid, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Spirtzis said in an interview with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) on Sunday.
“De-privatization is exactly the opposite term from de-nationalization. It means ridding crucial sectors of the social policy and strategic sectors of the national economy from oligopolies and oligarchs who abuse state aid,” Spirtzis noted, when asked by ANA what the term “de-privatization” used recently by the minister meant.
“It means we are starting to regain our lost national sovereignty and implementing policies we believe in. it means we are becoming a normal European country like those that have state-owned companies for public transport, telecommunications, energy, in the strategic sectors of the national economy and social policy,” he stressed.
Asked to comment on criticism from the opposition that the minister has not secured the approval of Greece’s creditors on the move, he highlighted that the new fund does not foresee any sales of public transport companies.
“I would just like to remind them […] that Athens’ public transport has been added to the new fund, the Public Participation Company. It is not going to be privatized. If it were, it would have been included in New Democracy?s […] construct, the HRADF,” he added.
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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Zweifüssler License: CC-BY-SA
Source: ANA-MPA
