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Greece to cut ministers’ salaries by 30% immediately

22 June 2012 08:04 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA-Economics. Greece’s newly appointed Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said Thursday evening that changes in Greece must start imminently and that his first act was therefore to cut the salaries of his cabinet members by 30%, effective immediately, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Speaking to the press shortly before the first meeting of his cabinet, Samaras declared, "this government has no grace period and must show results at once."

The new prime minister said his primary goal is to get out of the crisis engulfing Greece and ensure the country’s continued membership in the Eurozone. He added that he will prepare a timeframe for each ministry and that he will follow each one personally in order to know at all times when there is progress and when there are delays.

"We will do everything to save the country and keep it on a European course. We must be effective," Samaras said.

He acknowledged, however, that there "are many difficulties in this struggle" though he said he "expected the support of all, inside and outside the country."

He added: "In the very near future we will show that we deserve this support."