Explosion in tourism, tax revenues in 2022 summer season filling state coffers; another subsidy package considered

Forecasts of a record-breaking August 2022, in terms of tourism and travel remittances, along with higher performances of other revenue targets apparently leave open the possibility of another subsidy package to deflect inflation and the energy crisis, Greek finance ministry officials hinted this week.

Heading into an election year in 2023, government officials have pointed to new support measures and even tax breaks, with beneficiaries being low- to middle-class earners and so-called “at-risk groups”.

Detailed measures “on the table” are, reportedly, higher heating subsidies, as well as subsidies for fuel and high electricity prices.

On the all-important tax-break front – one of the major planks on which the center-right Mitsotakis government was elected in a landslide in July 2019 – the abolition of the so-called “solidarity tax” for public sector wage-earners and even a hike in pension rates is being considered.

Also up for consideration is another increase in the minimum monthly wage, as well as a two percentage point reduction in the corporate tax rate, from 22 percent to 20 percent.

State coffers appear buffered by an over-performance of 5.2 billion euros in the goal set for the January-August 2022, with one parameter of the latter, however, being an increase in inflation.

In absolute terms, revenues from all types of taxes reached 31.094 billion euros, up 19.9 percent from the listed target in the 2022 budget.