Bankers meet with FinMin, announce measures for flood victims in Thessaly; IBAN for state aid donations

National Economy & Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis met with Hellenic Bank Association (HBA) President Vassilis Rapanos and General Manager Charoula Apalagaki on Wednesday on the banks’ plans to help with the repercussions of the Daniel storm.

Rapanos said he requested the meeting to announce the measures the HBA board decided following the destructive floods in Thessaly.

All member banks of HBA, Rapanos said, will do the following:

– They will suspend the payment of instalments of up-to-date loans by individuals and businesses to December 31, 2023.

– Suspend the entirety of court and non-court related collection procedures for individuals and businesses to December 31, 2023.

– In recognition of the significant contribution of Thessaly’s businesses to extroversion and to the growth dynamic of the Greek economy, the banks are prepared to propose tailor-made mid-term solutions for every business, so the businesses may be able to return to normal rates.

– The four systemic banks (National Bank of Greece, Piraeus Bank, Alpha Bank, Eurobank) have decided to contribute to the restoration efforts of damages with 50 million euros, which will be allocated and provided mostly for infrastructure, in collaboration with related ministries, local government, and social and economic agencies of the region.

Responding to the decisions, Hatzidakis thanked the HBA on behalf of the government, underlining the facilitation to borrowers and the voluntary donation of 50 million euros for areas in Thessaly and other areas affected by the storms. “After this excellent initiative of the HBA, we have every reason to believe as a government that other powerful economic factors of Greece will follow suit,” Hatzidakis said.

The minister added that he had also met earlier with the Union of Greek Shipowners and requested their help in managing the repercussions of the crisis.

He said that the government requested that all donations, whether big or small, be deposited at the central State Account for Aid. “Obviously, following up and in agreement with basic donors, the state will move in a way that is coordinated and fast, because we are interested in restoring damages the soonest possible,” Hatzidakis added.

The State Account for Aid’s IBAN is GR9501000230000002341227461, and donations can be made in any amount. On the government site https://arogi.gov.gr/dorees, the state says that donations to the fund, which was set up in 2021, “augment the national and European resources that the state activates for the immediate compensation and support of households, businesses, and farmers who have been affected by natural catastrophes and the restoration of infrastructure and the environment.”