As it owed the terms of the new stability and development pact, the Greece filed today (30.04.2025) to Commission and the Council of the European Union (EU) the annual progress report of 2025, in relation to the objectives set in the medium-term budgetary plan 2025-2028, For growth, debt, surplus and expenses.
According to Greece’s annual progress report that the Commission has in its hands, For 2025 growth rate of 2.3%, 8.4%growth growth rate, private consumption of 1.7%, exports of 4.0%and imports 3.8%. The harmonized consumer price index is expected to divergent at 2.4% in 2025 from 3.0% in 2024.
Of particular importance is the performance of tax measures as Thanks to the restriction of tax evasion in 2024 This year’s and upcoming measures are funded, despite the fact that there is a divergence between the original objective and the forecast of net primary expenses of 2025, as CALLED CONFIDENTIALS FOR THE BODIES and within the projected budgetary limits of 0.3%.
The primary effect of the state budget, taking into account the budgetary measures announced and the performance of 2024, It is expected to reach 3.2% in 2025 against 4.8% in 2024 and the total general government result to 0.1% in 2025 versus 1.3% in 2024. The debt to GDP decreased from 163.9% in 2023 to 153.6% in 2024 and is expected to be further diverged to 145.7% in 2025.
It is worth noting that The original target for this year’s surplus was at 2.5%.
At 4.5% the expenditure of 2025, “weapon” over -tax evasion in 2024
The rate of annual increase in net primary expenditure in 2025 is expected to reach 4.5% in 2025 against a target of 3.7%. This divergence is within the fiscal margin of 0.3% of GDP for the annual increase in the European framework, given that the cumulative increase in spending of 2024 and 2025 is within the relevant limits. For the year 2024, taking into account significant tax evasion measures perceived as active revenue measures and deducting the target of net expenditure, net primary expenditure is estimated to have decreased by 0.3% against a growth threshold of 2.6%.
The annual progress report includes budgetary interventions for the years 2024 and 2025. These interventions aim to boost the available income and promote sustainable development and social cohesion, without endangering the prudent fiscal trend our country in recent years.
Significant budgetary measures implemented in 2024 include the reform of the public sector payroll, the reduction of taxation for families with children, the 50% reduction in the business fee, the increase in birth benefit, the expansion of maternity allowance and other measures to deal with natural disasters.
What are the measures of 2025
For 2025 budget measures provided for in the budget and already being implemented, they include the additional reduction in insurance contributions by one percentage point, the increase in public sector wages after increasing the minimum wage from 830 to 880 euros, the abolition of the bureau NSS, the exemption from the tax insurance tax for children, the implementation of my home II program and other measures facing issues related to the demographic and housing problem.
In addition to the above, measures of EUR 1.3 billion are implemented, announced after the filing of the state budget 2025, on the basis of the positive fiscal performance of 2024 linked to the rendering of tax evasion restriction measures. These include:
- Permanent increase in the National Public Investment Program by EUR 500 million,
- Permanent return of a rent to low and medium -income families, with an estimated annual cost of EUR 230 million,
- Permanent annual financial support of 250 euros to 1.44 million pensioners, uninsured elders and people with disabilities, at an annual cost of EUR 360 million,
- Extension of exemption from pharmaceutical expenses for low -income pensioners, at an annual cost of EUR 23 million,
- Granting a risk allowance to security executives at an annual cost of € 222 million.
The annual progress report of the Greek economy makes special reference to the fact that our country has sought steadily and has achieved the reduction of tax evasion by applying important reforms that include:
- the interface of POS with the cash registers,
- The full implementation of the “Mydata” platform for the online revenue and expenditure statement,
- the extension of compulsory acceptance of electronic payments to retail trade,
- real estate transactions through electronic means of payments,
- The new framework for the minimum taxable income for self -employed,
- the increase in fines for cash use in transactions of over 500 euros,
- the payment of social security benefits through prepaid cards,
- the digitization and automation of the tax authority’s controls and
- the application of the digital work card, which records the actual working hours of the employees.
The estimated direct positive impact on the public revenue of the main measures to combat tax evasion is estimated to exceed € 2 billion a year.
Finally, the Annual Progress Report mentions the course of the evolution of all reforms and investments included in the medium-term budgetary-acting plan (MDS) 2025-2028.