Government sources said that “there is still no such request from the Greek side, nor a discussion with troika” but we are considering examining the issue in the near future, provided that “the Greek side will be completely ready” to meet the prerequisites to be met until then.

Such a development could possibly mean that troika might not be required to come back to Athens in June if the government proceeds timely with some issues provided by the memorandum, like the numbering of all transactions with the State with a single number (which will integrate Tax Identification Number, ID and other identification numbers), changes in tax laws (simplification), etc.

Meanwhile, Adminstrative Reform Minister Antonis Manitakis and his associates are currently working on the final details nfor the preparation of the bill regarding changes in the public sector, tovima.gr writes.

According to the plan, the ministries will have about 50% less placements and reduced staff. The new bill will focus on effectiveness, efficiency, fiscal benefits and reducing operating cost criteria, while emphasizing is job placement organization and recruitment. The main focus is on merit and the qualitative improvement of staff and services provided.

One of the main aspects of the new bill is the issuing of presidential decrees. The government plans to restructure each ministry, so that they are more functional and effective. The detailed description of each position, along with the responsibilities and duties of each directorate, department and position are critical.

The goals of each department and ministry will become the goals of each employee, so staff will be evaluated on the degree to which they completed their tasks. These evaluations will determine whether an employee will face a dismissal or a transfer to another department.

Essentially, the new bill contains the tools by which a number of other reforms are to take place, such as the 15,000 dismissals by the end of 2014. The bill also ensures that for each compulsory dismissal there will be one recruitment. About 10,000 successful applicants who participated in ASEP competitions will cover these recruitments.

Meanwhile, the “surplus” employees from positions and departments that are to merge or be abolished will be inducted in a mobility scheme for transfer to other positions, based on staff evaluation and needs. The employees from public law entities will be given incentives to retire, while employees from private law entities will likely face outright dismissal. Along with employees facing misconduct charges, private law employees in the civil sector are the first to face dismissal.

According to the minister, the changes approved would allow Greece to meet targets calling for a 40-50% reduction in administrative structures, effecting savings that exceeded 15%, AMNA reports.

This marked the start of the crucial second phase, in which the studies had to be carried out and new institutions designed, Manitakis added. Government wants to push dismissals forward through an evaluation procedure, by reducing the services at ministries and their supervised agencies. The government partners will discuss in great detail the wording in the bill, to ensure the greatest convergence of opinion before it is tabled in Parliament, tovima.gr writes.

Yesterday’s meeting at the Maximos Mansion also discussed coordinating efforts for the ‘mobility’ of 12,500 civil servants by June and another 12,500 by December. By the end of December 2013, the government must also remove 4,000 public-sector employees, many of which will have to go by June. Manitakis stressed that each departure will be matched by the hiring of a new employee via the ASEP civil servants’ recruitment council.

Administrative Reform Ministry supports a qualitative “upgrade” of staff and evaluation of human resources, in an effort to make services more efficient. A variety of employees will face dismissal, across all government services and agencies, with the government providing some incentives for voluntary redundancy.

FinMin Yannis Stournaras wants all measures to be voted until Sunday so that he finds the chance on Monday, at the Euroworking Group meeting, to ask for at least the EUR 2.8 billion already approved by the Eurogroup, protothema.gr writes.

The Finance ministry is apparently backing off on the operation of shops on Sundays since, after the reaction of the parties, the issue will probably not get included in the omnibus bill.

The bill will include provisions for the extension this year of the collection of the tax hike through electricity bills, but under another name (single property tax) and the introduction of a 15% discount as compared to 2012. The implementation of a single property tax is postponed until 2014, whilst officials spoke of a tax-free limit of at least EUR 50,000 and above that a 0.1% tax in the additional property value of each taxpayer.

This idea is now probably abandoned, as the memorandum goal is to collect EUR 3.2 billion in 2014 from a single real estate tax. FinMin officials already expect significant losses and the budgeted revenue is “clipped” even now to about EUR 2.7-2.9 billion euros.

According to protothema.gr, layoffs of civil servants have not been withdrawn from the table of debate although all three parties of the government assure there will be no layoffs but instead they will proceed faster with the transfer programme in the public sector.

The issue of reducing wages in the private sector through the end of sectoral agreements is also back on the table, although the government clarified that the minimum wage will not be affected at this time.

The negotiation with the troika heads takes place in the wider European context created by the political instability in Italy. Government staffers say the austerity programme should be eased and in no case include any new measures.

However, the government believes that the situation requires careful handling because there should not be an impression of programme revision, an event highly unlikely to be accepted by Berlin and Brussels. Coalition leaders believe that troika will play its game but not exceed its limits.

But the social climate deteriorates as the measures for uncollectible debts to the public advance and in view of the tax return statements for 2013.

Besides, troika blames the government for loopholes in the tax collection mechanism, which will naturally further burden the entire society and not just the tax evaders.