The Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Nikos Papathanasis, today submitted to the European Commission the 4th payment request, amounting to €2.3 billion, for the loan component of the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RDF). This request was submitted after the target of contracting €4.52 billion of EFSF loans was reached earlier than foreseen.

The loan programme is in particularly high demand from enterprises of all sizes, as these loans are granted at a fixed lending rate of 0.35% for micro and small enterprises and 1% for medium and large enterprises, with an average repayment period of 14 years, amid rising interest rates and cost of capital internationally.

It is noted that 287 loans had been contracted as of March 26, 2024, of which 136 were for small and medium enterprises. The budget of the total loan contracts amounts to €11.15 billion, of which €4.75 billion are Recovery Fund loans, €3.77 billion are bank loans, and €2.63 billion are investor equity.

On the occasion of the submission of the 4th payment request, the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, responsible for the Recovery and Resilience Fund, Mr. Nikos Papathanasis, said: "Consistent with our commitments to our fellow citizens and our European partners, and in continuation of the previous relevant requests that we submitted on time and received the approval of the EU, we are today proceeding with the 4th payment request from the loan component of the Recovery and Resilience Fund. The aim is for these funds to be injected directly into the economy, boosting entrepreneurship, reducing the investment gap, and creating new jobs. In the near future, we will proceed to the submission of the corresponding payment request from the grants component, achieving the necessary milestones and reforms to improve important infrastructure, for Health, Education, Civil Protection, for sustainable development, and the daily lives of all our citizens."