The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is apparently standing by its positions regarding the Greek adjustment program and, in fact, deflecting most of the criticism it attracted -- most notably by EU Commissioner Pierre Moscovici -- after a very public presentation of those positions earlier this month. The IMF again refers to a pressing need to expand the tax base in Greece, where the tax-free ceiling for wage-earners, as it has previously noted, is very high by European standards, roughly 8,500 euros in income annually. The Washington-based Fund also points to further social security reforms as necessary in the country, the recipient of three bailout programs since 2010.
The online Q&A format comes after two top IMF officials, including Poul Thomsen, published the Fund's detailed positions on the Greek program on the Fund's blog on Dec. 12.
