IMF reiterates Greece must shrink state to avoid default
International lenders told Greece today it must shrink its public sector and improve tax collection to avoid default within weeks as investors spooked by political setbacks in Europe dumped risky euro zone assets.
Hours before a telephone conference between the Greek Finance Minister and senior officials of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, the IMF representative in Greece spelled out steps Athens must take to secure a vital 8 billion euro rescue payment next month.
"The ball is in the Greek court. Implementation is of the essence," Bob Traa told an economic conference.
Additional savings measures were needed to cut the public deficit to a sustainable level and reduce the public sector's claim on resources - code for axing jobs and cutting pay and pensions - while improving tax collection rather than adding further taxes, he said.
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