Greek MPs agree to give some pensioners extra benefit

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS (AA) - Greek lawmakers on Thursday approved with 196 votes a host of new measures, including giving a one-off bonus to some pensioners in accordance with an announcement made by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras last Thursday.

Tsipras had promised a one-off bonus to pensioners who earned less than €800 (around $833) along with the suspension of Value Added Tax increase on islands hit by the refugee crisis.

Most political parties after the 8-hour heated debate in the parliament voted in favor of the one-off benefit for pensioners earning less than €800 (around $833). They are expected get €800 (around $833) bonus.

Votes on the Value Added Tax suspension for Greek islands will be cast in another session.

The measures that the Greek premier announced last week in a televised address, just three days after the eurozone lenders announced the short-term debt relief measures, had not been welcomed by Greece’s lenders, who shortly after announced a freeze on the implementation of the short-term measures on Greek debt they agreed in their last meeting.

“The institutions have concluded that the actions of the Greek government appear to not be in line with our agreements,” Michel Reijns, spokesman for Eurogroup had tweeted.

Responding to the decision to put on hold the Greek debt relief, Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos told journalists in a press conference on Wednesday: “We will explain to anyone who asks us that the support for pensioners announced by the government is within the framework of the memorandum and we believe that when we provide the necessary explanations, they will understand.”