One area where institutional creditors and the Greek government have converged in negotiations over a second review of the Greek program (third bailout) has apparently left out self-employed professionals in a draft framework for out-of-court settlement of arrears and debts.
A top government official on Monday evening was quoted as saying that only legal entities that have “commercial activity” and an annual turnover of more than 50,000 euros will be eligible to participation in the new scheme.
The development, if it officially pans out, is bad news for some 300,000 self-employed professionals in Greece with arrears to the tax bureau, social security funds and debts to third parties, primarily banks.
In a bid to try and “sweeten” the disappointment, finance ministry official have emphasized that eligible self-employed professionals can seek protection under the so-called Katseli law, although the latter aims primarily to protect a debtor primary residence and not to restructure debts and arrears.
The leftist government had long tried to include self-employed professionals in the new framework.
