Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis presented the government's initiatives to increase incomes and mitigate inequalities at the opening ceremony of the 88th Thessaloniki International Fair at the "I. Vellidis.".

Among other things, he announced a 1% reduction in contributions, not 0.5% as expected, the abolition of business tax, an increase of 2 million pensions by 2.2 to 2.5%, the minimum wage, public sector salaries, and announced that three-parent families will be considered large families.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted that the government has three years of a clear political path ahead of it, adding that he is much more experienced "from managing successive crises that we have overcome.".

He referred to "trials, migrant invasions and the pandemic, energy, and climate challenges," saying the obstacles "made us stronger."

"I am determined to honour your trust," he added, saying that his announcements at last year's TIF had been implemented—from the panic button and e-ticketing in stadiums to MyCoast. 

The goal, he said, is that by 2027 Greece will have made up the lost ground from the memorandum era, so that "the next generation will feel that they can live better than the previous one."

The Prime Minister referred to his commitments made last year at the TIF that were fulfilled: the investment grade, the minimum wage increase, and the 10,000 new teacher recruitments.

The Prime Minister then referred to last year's announcements and their implementation, saying that 10,000 permanent appointments were made last year while noting that 500,000 new jobs have been created since 2019.

"Last year I promised a transparent system for selection in the public sector. Our government put it into practice, the prime minister said.

And referring to the tax fairness measures, he said, "We did it despite the political cost. We did it because it was the right thing to do."

The 45 measures announced by the Prime Minister

1) Insurance contributions reduced by 1% from 1 January instead of 0.5% as originally planned

2) More than 2.2% to 2.5% increase in more than 2,000,000 pensions as of 1 January 

3) The minimum wage is increased from 830 euros today to 950 euros by April 2027, automatically pushing up three-year salaries and many benefits. 

4) In December, 670,000 pensioners with an income of up to 1,600 euros who still have a personal difference will receive up to 200 euros. 

5) 767,000 Child Benefit recipients will receive an extra installment of the benefit in December. 

6) The OPEKA and EFKA's 220,000 disability beneficiaries will receive a 200 euro boost, as will 35,000 senior citizens without insurance.

7) 205,000 beneficiaries of the Minimum Guaranteed Income will receive it increased by 50%. 

8) From spring, almost 700,000 civil servants will start to see new annual increases, which will gradually reach up to 100 euros per month. 

9) The on-call pay of NHS doctors will be taxed independently at a rate of 22%, equivalent to an average salary increase of 130 euros per month.

10) An additional incentive of up to 7,200 euros per year for doctors staffing health structures in remote areas.

11) Free evening surgeries to 37,000 citizens with resources from the Recovery Fund

12) A new "Marietta Giannakou" programme for the upgrading and renovation of hundreds of schools worth €250 million from the Public Investment Programme, with the aim of increasing this amount significantly through private sponsorships

13) A 20% increase in the night duty allowance for uniformed personnel (Armed Forces, Coast Guard, Police and Fire Brigade)

14) The business tax is completely abolished with an annual benefit of 325 euros for each self-employed person or sole proprietorship. 

15) The minimum taxable amount for self-employed persons will also be reduced in areas with 1,500 inhabitants instead of 500, while the criterion of the maximum employee salary will not be calculated additively but only comparatively. 

16) The Fixed Telephony Special Tax of 5% for fibre-optic connections with speeds above 100 Mbps is abolished. 

17) With 173,000 vouchers and 20,000 additional nursery spaces, benefits to new parents increase by 20 million.

18) Employers who facilitate their staff with benefits of up to €5,000 per year to new parents will be exempt from tax on this amount, which will be increased for each new family member. 

19) Convergence of the rights of three-parent families with large families, regardless of income: from appointment to the civil service and admission to higher education to participation in social tourism programs. 

20) "Neighbourhood Nannies" will be extended with vouchers of up to 500 euros per child.

21) Immediate abolition of the 15% tax on health insurance for children up to 18 years old.

22) Free fertility testing for women between 30 and 35 and simplification of EOPYY coverage for assisted reproduction.

23) Reform unemployment benefits so that they do not act as an alibi for undeclared work by directing aid to those in real need

24) More equitable, efficient, and targeted three basic social benefits: minimum guaranteed income, housing benefit, and child benefit, with the aim of reducing child poverty in the country.

25) Reimbursement of the special consumption tax on agricultural oil will be made permanent from 2025, and for the following years, these amounts will be reimbursed in a fair and proportionate manner.

26) Establish a flexible system for the management of "red" loans of farmers and cooperatives so that, based on their potential, interest rates are reduced and part of the outstanding capital is eliminated, while in the long term, repayment will be made with the possibility of refinancing and final settlement and elimination of encumbrances.

27) A €600 million program to increase greenhouse cultivation in the territory. 

28) Plan for the exchange and consideration of idle public lands belonging to the Ministry of Rural Development. Investors in the industry will take over these lands to cultivate and build sizable greenhouses that will only produce high-value export agrifood products.

29) The "My House" II Program, worth $2 billion with resources from the Recovery Fund, is launched to provide first homes for over 15,000 young people or young couples aged up to 50 years, at half the commercial rate of interest.

30) €400 million program for loans of up to €20,000 at zero interest rates, aimed at energy upgrading of thousands of old homes. 

31) Exemption from rent tax for 3 years for landlords who rent closed properties or if they convert a short-term lease into a long-term one. 

32) A new, increased fee will apply to contracts through platforms.

33) Prohibition of new short-term leases in the 3 central apartments of Athens for at least one year. 

34) A 20% increase in the ENFIA deduction for owners who insure homes worth up to €500,000 against natural disasters. 

35) Properties with a higher value will continue to receive a 10% VAT deduction if they insure themselves, but if they don't, the state won't be responsible for damages after April 2025.

36) All businesses with a turnover of more than 500,000 euros will be required to be insured for natural disasters. Otherwise, they will not be compensated. This will also apply to any new contract, as well as to the renewal of an old contract for private or commercial vehicles. 

37) Incentives for innovation, mergers, and acquisitions are expanded with tax deductions of up to 315% for investments in research.

38) The minimum capital limit of a company resulting from the transformation of smaller companies is limited to €100,000. 

39) Gone is the Stamp Duty on hundreds of transactions: from interest on business loans or insurance transactions to import credits and engineering budgets. And from the establishment of non-profit legal entities to the simple issuance of a professional license.

40) Granting of "Golden Visa" for funds to be imported for financing start-up companies with at least 250,000 euros

41) Establishment of a new National Investment Fund with $300 million in capital to provide incentives for dynamic initiatives, especially in high-value-added sectors. 

42) 12+ 1 regional development plans are formed with many small and large projects in each municipality and each mountain or island community

43) Elimination of 15 time-consuming bureaucratic procedures with the aim of reducing the administrative burden by 25%, especially for our exporting companies 

44) Impose a Cruise Fee per passenger disembarking at a Greek port. Higher in Santorini and Mykonos, lower in the other ports, with an escalation per season.

45) Climate Resilience Fee increases from April to October, on a pro-rata basis, for hotels, accommodation and rental properties through platforms. This revenue will be returned to local communities to better organize their infrastructure against the burden they face each summer.