The form of the mobilization of farmers was not known, and their
representatives refused to answer when they received a question from reporters. Even though they admitted that the ministry seems to understand their requests they described their meeting as fruitless.
At the heart of their reactions are the reimbursements by ELGA, as they ask that they be paid in their totality through an effective process of assessing the damage. They are also requesting to push the issue of the Registration of Farmers but also a decision for cheaper farming oil.
Agriculture minister Kostas Skandalidis called the reactions as untimely, unfair and unreasonable, especially amidst the current economic climate.
He warned that he considers as unthinkable the repetition of last year’s “folklore scenes” where the farmers ended up discussing with the PM of Bulgaria in order to open the Greco-Bulgarian borders where they had set up blocks. According to Skandalidis the protests are a birth given right and the government cannot be the gendarme of the farmers.
However, he added that he considers their requests for a raise of the returned VAT TO 15% as unfair (while it has already been raised at 11% from 7% despite the crisis), issuing of tax-free oil («it does not exist anywhere», although the establishment of “farming oil” is not excluded, under certain conditions) and the contributions to ELGA (the state is already paying more than what ELGA is receiving by the farmers contributions»).
source: Proto Thema
