A man walks outside the University of Athens, Monday, Nov. 11, 2013. The Athens’ University and the Polytechnic University remain closed for the eleventh week as administrative workers strike over their proposed suspensions, the latest in the government’s efforts to slash the civil sector as part of austerity reforms necessary to receive international bailout loans. The conservative-led government plans to sack 15,000 state employees by the end of 2014, and place another 25,000 in a program of mandatory suspensions and job transfers. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Greece Financial Crisis
A cleaning woman working at the Finance Ministry shouts slogans against public sector firings as a riot police form a cordon to secure the departure of debt inspectors from the European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund, known as the troika, in central Athens, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. The debt inspectors are in Athens to approve another bailout loan. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
APTOPIX Greece Parliament
The illuminated Greek Parliament building ahead of the Nov. 14 World Diabetes Day, is reflected on a rain-soaked pavement as a couple wait to cross a street in Athens on Monday, Nov. 11, 2013. (Petros Giannakouris)
Matthias Mors
European Commission official Matthias Mors, left, enters the Finance ministry in central Athens, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. The debt inspectors from the European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund, known as the troika are in Athens to approve another bailout loan. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Greece Financial Crisis
Cleaning women working at the Finance Ministry shout slogans against public sector firings as a riot police form a cordon to secure the departure of debt inspectors from the European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund, known as the troika, in central Athens, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. The debt inspectors are in Athens to approve another bailout loan. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — International debt inspectors were meeting Tuesday with Greece’s finance minister to examine government claims that a financing shortfall next year can be covered without any major new austerity measures.
The officials from the “troika” — the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund — are scrutinizing the government’s forecast that the bailout loans will be 500 million euros ($670 million) short of the country’s financing needs next year. Greece maintains the sum would be small enough to make up for without resorting to more spending cuts or tax increases.
The troika officials were in talks with Yannis Stournaras to reach an understanding on the issue before the government submits its 2014 budget to parliament at the end of next week.
They will also examine how to ease the government’s mortgage protection measures, the fate of loss-making state defense companies, and details of a mass public sector lay off plan.
As troika officials arrived for the meetings, cleaning staff recently laid off by the finance ministry staged a demonstration outside the ministry building, and were held back by riot police as they chanted “murderers, murderers” at the inspectors.
The government has promised not to impose any more across-the-board austerity measures — a pledge repeated during a weekend parliament debate by conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who is faced with growing discontent in his 15-month-old coalition.
Lawmakers from his own center-right New Democracy party and Socialist coalition partners are threatening to vote against a planned new property tax. And Samaras on Monday saw his slender majority in parliament cut by one seat after a Socialist lawmaker was expelled from the party.
Meanwhile, Greece on Tuesday raised 1.3 billion euros in a 13-week treasury bill auction, at a rate of 3.9 percent, unchanged from a month ago.
