Today the European Commission has asked for the return of €230 million, which was used to fund Hellenic Shipyards SA.
The reason? The funding was illegal and against the terms that the EC had set. So now we have to return it.
With about 6 million taxpayers in Greece, that’s about €40 for each and everyone of us to pay for someone taking the wrong decision and keep taking the wrong decision in 1997.
Simple as that.
Categories: Deja vu all over again · Shooting ourselves in the foot · What were they thinking?
Tagged: ec, eu, funding, government, misappropriation, public sector, shipyards
Monopoly is actually a Greek word.
I’m not though that this can justify that so many professions insist not to have their professions opened up to pretty much anyone.
Taxi drivers, pharmacists, notaries public and as much as ten other professions are the so called “closed professions”.
Did we really have to wait for the EU to tell us to open up these job markets? Why? So that the government doesn’t look bad and claims to only do what the EU is commanding them to?
Isn’t it obvious that by opening up and regulating a market, you are bound to get a sustainable amount of people working that market?
If the market needs 50,000 cabs in Athens but only has 20,000 cabs, isn’t it obvious that the Athenians (and visitors) will be better serviced? Isn’t it obvious that this market expansion will also create diversity that will ultimately benefit the consumer through higher quality services for lower prices?
Hey, isn’t that what a free economy is all about? Wasn’t it like 250 years ago when Adam Smith established that? Do we really need someone else to tell us what’s good for us? [1, 2]
Categories: Democracy in all its glory
Tagged: economy, eu, government, market, monopoly, pressure groups, professions
