Greek parliament approves bailout reforms
Greece’s parliament just approved a controversial bill of bailout reforms, ahead of a vital Europgroup meeting on Tuesday.
The bill is likely to include the last chunk of a €5.4bn ($6.06bn) austerity package which Greece will implement by 2018.
The much-needed bill increases tax, creates a new privatisation fund and frees up the sale of non-performing loans in exchange for bailout loans and to qualify for debt relief.
Athens expects the vote to unlock new funds that the country needs to pay IMF loans and ECB bonds maturing in July. The government hopes the bill will be instrumental in increasing state arrears too.
A total of 153 lawmakers voted in favour of the reforms except one MP who approved the bill in principle but voted against some of the articles.