Greek government spokesman George Petalotis said on Monday that 2010 will be the year for the implementation of major structural changes that the government has already promoted from the first days of governance.
Speaking at a Monday press briefing, the spokesman added that 2010 "shall be a milestone year for the restoration of the country 's shaken
prestige and credibility at international and European level."
Petalotis stressed that the government "is focused absolutely on its commitments for the recovery of the economy, support for low and
medium-level incomes, backing for education, the upgrading of the health system, the restructuring of the social state and a state of law."
Referring to the tax system, he said that "our aim is not simply another tax bill, but a fair, stable and effective tax system that will
distribute tax burdens on the citizens in a fair and proportional way, that will reward those who are tax consistent and will not burden the low and medium-level incomes."
On the question of the stability program, Petalotis pointed out that it will constitute "our road map" to exit from the crisis, to reduce monetary deficits and curb the debt.
The spokesman also said that an EU Commission delegation would be arriving in Athens in the coming days for talks on the Greek Stability Program. A cabinet meeting is scheduled to approve the program in mid-January, which would be presented to the European Commission at the end of the month.
According to the Athens News Agency, a spokeswoman for Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in Brussels the same day that the European Commission has not yet received Greece's stability program, which the Greek government has promised to submit in early January.
The spokeswoman, Amelia Torres, stressed that technical talks were currently underway between authorities from both sides.