Greece: Banks opened its doors after three weeks of closure – RPP News

With the reopening of banks after more than twenty days with the blinds, Greece returns this Monday at a certain normality he never left at all despite the corralito and political instability.

Early in the morning, in Athens seemed that nothing extraordinary was happening because despite continued low capital controls, queues at ATMs were virtually nonexistent and also no crowds of people inside the bank branches that had just opened.

In bars and cafes around, however, as well as a store, we kept seeing the usual bustle with tourists taking their national and coffee and talking in a relaxed atmosphere.

Just, all the same day when shops and services put in place mechanisms to collect from this luns the new rate of VAT, which strikes, etc. , a blow to the restoration, which goes from 13% to 23% -. in the tourist season

But as has been occurring repeatedly in recent months, in more than one place could see more journalists than customers, waiting for the exceptional show up somewhere.

But on Monday Greece seems a little further from the constant threat of leaving the euro, the result of agreement reached last Monday with European partners and compliance to the letter by the Greek Executive of the conditions imposed by creditors.

Among them, the approval on Wednesday in Parliament a comprehensive package of reforms, who has cracked the government party, the leftist Syriza, and with respect to which the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has expressed reluctance.

“I do not look good measures, in no case but at the same time I think it’s important to reopen banks and normalcy recovers, “ says Efe Ilia, a lawyer for 30 years, sees the pact, although bad, was the price to pay to save the situation.

“It’s important because we need the money flow. I have a job, and I have to collect and pay my bills. With banks closed, my whole life changed, “says Ilia.

The Greeks can operate on window as the payment of fees and loans of all kinds, such as debts to the State, public enterprises, state pension funds or private insurance.

They will also have access to term deposits and safes, and will cash their checks, even if they have expired during the period of closure of the institutions.

However, many restrictions remain, as in the case of transactions abroad, even to parents who have children studying abroad send them up to 5,000 euros per quarter and those who have to pay hospital fees have up to 2,000 euros.

As for the withdrawal in cash, will remain at 60 euros a day, but with the novelty that will let you do that cumulatively, ie out up to 420 euros at the end of the week.

“What difference does all this? While banks are open, but you still have money, people are still without work, and effective, many have already saved under the mattress, “says Andreas between angry and mocking a newsagent 60, which is near a bank branch.

Andreas puts her hands on hips, watching people come and go from the bank and shakes his head.

“The situation is still bad” sentence.

Indeed, the president of the Union of Greek Banks, Luka Katseli, urged people to return money to the banks to make the system stronger.

“You have to overcome fear. If we support the banking system, problems will be minor and will win, “said Katseli told private Skai chain.

EFE