Thursday 8 November 2012

Austerity cuts passed by Greece lawmakers

The austerity package aimed at securing the next round of bailout funds was passed with the support of 153 MPs in the 300-member parliament.
The 13.5bn-euro ($17.3bn; £10.5bn) bill includes tax rises and pension cuts.
Earlier, riot police fired tear gas towards protesters when they were attacked with petrol bombs in Athens.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras warned before the vote late on Wednesday that without the bailout Greece would run out of money thismonth and face"catastrophe".
Many of these measures are fair and should have been taken years ago, without anyone asking us to”
Antonis Samaras
Greek PM
The austerity package - Greece's fourth in three years - is meant to close the nation's budget deficit, lower its huge debt burden and make its economy more competitive.
MPs must now pass a revisedbudget on Sunday before eurozone finance ministers meet next week to approve 31.5bn euros in fresh loans from the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Greece needs to avoid imminent bankruptcy.