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Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach

School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies

Cornell University

16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky

New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau

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Organisation for Economic Cooperaton and Development (OECD)

 

OECD ECONOMIC SURVEY OF GREECE 2013 [27 November 2013]

http://www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/greece-2013.htm

or

http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/oecd-economic-surveys-greece-2013_eco_surveys-grc-2013-en

[full-text, 134 pages]

or

OVERVIEW

http://www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/GRC_Overview_Eng_2013.pdf

[full-text, 38 pages]

 

 

OECD COMPETITION ASSESSMENT REVIEWS: GREECE [27 November 2013]

http://www.oecd.org/daf/competition/greece-competition-review-2013.htm

or

http://www.oecd.org/daf/competition/Greece-Competition-Assessment-2013.pdf

[full-text, 328 pages]

 

About the book

The work undertaken by the Greek authorities in recent years to reinforce competition law and the Hellenic Competition Commission, to simplify business administration and to liberalise professional services have demonstrated the political willingness to address the problem of existing regulatory barriers to competition that have contributed to holding back the economic recovery.

Through the scrutiny of legislation in key sectors of the Greek economy - food processing, retail trade, building materials and tourism - the OECD Competition Assessment Project identified 555 problematic regulations and 329 provisions where changes could be made to foster competition. The OECD Competition Assessment Toolkit was used to structure the analysis.

If our recommendations are implemented, benefits to consumers in Greece and to the Greek economy should arise in all four sectors. Throughout this report, we seek to identify the sources of those benefits and where possible provide quantitative estimates. Estimates are made on the basis of experiences of deregulation in other countries in some instances, or by relating conservative estimates of efficiency gains to the overall size of the business activity affected.

 

Press Release 27 November 2013

Greece: Structural reforms under way but more progress needed in boosting market dynamism

http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/greece-structural-reforms-under-way-but-more-progress-needed-in-boosting-market-dynamism.htm

 

27/11/2013-Greece has made impressive headway in consolidating its public finances and undertaking key structural reforms to boost productivity and enhance competitiveness. These reforms need to be implemented swiftly and in full to put Greece on a path of stronger, more inclusive growth, according to the OECD.

 

In its latest Economic Survey of Greece, the OECD says the crisis has been much deeper than expected, leading to a sharp contraction in activity that has pushed unemployment up to almost 28% of the labour force, created hardship for vulnerable social groups, and is posing risks to the sustainability of the country’s government debt.

 

Presenting the Survey in Athens, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said: “For the reform efforts to succeed and be accepted by citizens, it is imperative that both the costs and the benefits of adjustment are shared fairly.”

 

He acknowledged that the country’s government debt trajectory has worsened as a result of slower-than-expected growth, despite the 2012 restructuring. 

 

“If Greek growth again disappoints, or deflation persists – even after the implementation of structural reforms - then it will be extremely difficult to reach the debt-to-GDP target of 120% by 2020. In this case, serious consideration should be given to reducing the current debt burden,” he said.

 

The Survey says accelerating and broadening the structural reform programme is essential for a sustainable recovery. It says privatisations should be speeded up, particularly in the energy sector and in railways, regional airports, ports and real estate.

 

The report recommends better targeting of benefits, including a minimum income scheme, to strengthen the safety net. Health care cuts must focus on further reducing inefficiencies while safeguarding cost-effective and critical services.

 

The OECD’s Competition Assessment of Laws and Regulations in Greece complements the Survey by recommending policies to achieve greater competition, widen consumer choice and lower prices. The Competition Assessment scrutinises more than a thousand pieces of legislation in four sectors: food processing, retail, building materials and tourism. If the recommendations are fully implemented, the benefit to the Greek economy in efficiency gains and increased purchasing power for consumers is estimated at 5.2 billion euros a year, or 2.5% of GDP.

 

The OECD is also working with Greece to reduce administrative red tape. It estimates that by lifting regulatory obstacles in a number of sectors by 25%, businesses could save around 1.8 billion euros annually, while supporting growth in productivity.

 

 

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