Global General

Greece expects austerity plan vote by end-June

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-06-07 14:50

ATHENS - The Greek government expects parliament to vote on its medium-term austerity plan, a condition of a new international bailout, by the end of June, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

The government also planned to cut corporate tax and value-added tax from 2012, he said, asking not be named. These measures would not be part of the latest medium-term economic plan, he told reporters.

These measures would be fiscally neutral, he said after a cabinet meeting, without providing details.

The opposition New Democracy party has demanded a corporate tax cut in return for its support for the latest austerity drive.

Senior government officials also said the government was not planning any referendum on austerity, even though Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Monday that he was open to the idea of a law allowing referendums.