Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-04-19 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] There will be no additional measures for 2018, gov't sources said after IMF report [02] Defence Ministry publishes names of victims in Sarantaporos helicopter crash [03] Samaria Gorge reopens on Thursday after maintenance work on trail --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] There will be no additional measures for 2018, gov't sources said after IMF report There is no issue of taking additional measures for 2018, government sources said on Wednesday, following the release of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Fiscal Monitor report on Greece's primary surpluses. "There's no issue of additional measures for 2018, as the problem of the different forecasts has already been resolved since May 2016, as part of the first [program] review, with the law on the fiscal contingency mechanism," the sources said. The sources welcomed the revision of the IMF's forecasts for the primary surpluses based on today's Fiscal Monitor report, noting that the Fund last year expected a primary surplus of 0.1 percent for 2016. "Instead, it now accepts an over-performance of almost seven times above the target of 0.5 percent to 3.3 percent, or 5.8 billion euros above its estimations in the autumn of 2016," they added. The same sources said that the forecast of a 1.8-percent primary surplus in 2017 is still above the 0.7 percent IMF forecast made in the previous report, which confirms Greece will achieve the program's goals. Concerning the IMF forecast for a primary surplus of 2.0 percent instead of a 3.5 percent target for 2018 as envisioned in the bailout program, is still higher than the initial estimate for a 1.6 percent seen in October 2016, adding that the European institutions and the government believe it will be achieved. [02] Defence Ministry publishes names of victims in Sarantaporos helicopter crash The Greek Defence Ministry published the names of the four dead army officers who lost their lives when their helicopter crashed in the area of Sarantaporos, Elassona, on Wednesday morning and the name of the one officer who was injured. Major General Ioannis Tzanidakis has been promoted this year to deputy commander of the Greek First Army. Colonel Thomas Adamos was 50 years old and security director in the First Army. Major Dimosthenis Goulas, the helicopter pilot, was 35 years old and had completed 1,620 hours of flight in this type of army helicopters. Lieutenant Konstantinos Hatzis, the co-pilot, was 28 years old and had completed 405 flight hours in the same type of helicopters. First Sergeant Vasiliki Plexida, who was injured in the crash, is being treated for limited injuries at a military hospital in Thessaloniki. She is 26 years old. [03] Samaria Gorge reopens on Thursday after maintenance work on trail The National Park of the Samaria Gorge in western Crete is opening its doors to visitors on Thursday after municipal crews fixed damages and cleared stones that fell in the trail during winter. The entrance to the gorge is located at Aghia Roumeli, at the southern side of the park. The northern side at the area of Xyloskalo is expected to open on May 1, when visitors will be able to walk the full length of the trail. The Chania Forests directorate said it maintains the right to redirect the visitors' trekking path or briefly close the park if weather conditions worsen making trekking dangerous for visitors. The Samaria Gorge is 16 km long, starting at an altitude of 1,250 m at the northern entrance, and ending at the shores of the Libyan Sea in Agia Roumeli. It was declared a National Park in 1962 and attracts thousands of trekkers throughout the year.