Economy
Car registrations continue to rise; up by 9.1 pct in April
Cars going into circulation for the first time showed a year on year (YoY) increase for the eighth straight month in April, rising by 9.1 percent according to Hellenic Statistical Agency (ELSTAT).
Jobless rate drops for fifth month to 26.5 pct in Feb but employed also falling
The seasonally adjusted jobless rate eased for a fifth successive month in February, edging down to 26.5 percent from a downwards revised 26.6 percent in January, according to the Hellenic Statistical Agency (ELSTAT).
Imports soar by 7 pct in March as exports rise for first time since Sept
Greece’s imports rose by 7 percent to 3.97 billion in March, a much faster pace than February’s increase of 2.3 percent, according to the flash estimates released by Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) on Thursday.
Q1 gg primary cash balance shows 2.5 bln surplus but 2014 arrears grow
The Greek general government (gg) primary cash surplus in the first quarter (Q1) of 2014 more than tripled to 2.5 billion from 770 million in the corresponding period last year, according the gg bulletin released by the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday.
OECD sees Greek recession continuing in 2014, slower recovery to follow
In its latest Economic Outlook report published on Tuesday, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) still expects Greek GDP to contract 0.3 percent in 2014 and rebound 1.9 percent in 2015.
Greece lays out plans for debt relief from eurozone
Greece is due to raise the subject of further debt relief at Monday’s Eurogroup but with the official sector poised to take a hit this time as opposed to the Private Sector Involvement (PSI) of early 2012.
Greek Parliament's budget office questions primary surplus sustainability
In its latest quarterly report released on Friday, the Greek Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) argues that despite significant achievements in 2014, the Greek economy still has a long way to go to overcome the obstacles in its path.
Manufacturing PMI rises again, reaching 51.1 in April
Greece’s Manufacturing PMI improved by 1.4 points to 51.1 in April, according to Markit. This was the third reading so far in 2014 above the 50-point mark, which separates growth from contraction.
Greece unveils MTFS seeing 4.2 bln primary surplus in 2014 but just under 2 bln fiscal gap in 2015-16
The Finance Ministry unveiled on April 30 the Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy (MTFS) for 2015 – 2018, which was also tabled in Parliament. The government aims for the program to be voted through the House by May 5 to coincide with the date of the next Eurogroup.
Retail index fell by 2.2 pct in Feb but trend improving
The turnover of Greece’s retail trade index fell by 2.2 percent year on year (YoY) in February, while volume slightly rose by 0.6 percent, according to the Hellenic Statistical Agency (ELSTAT).