The overdue debts of the state continued to be at particularly high levels in the January-July period, despite their marginal decline compared to the first half of the year.
According to official data released by the State General Accounting Office, state dues to the private sector reached 3.5 billion euros.
At the same time, however, the upward trend of taxpayers’ debts to the tax office continues unabated, with the total amount of arrears now reaching the same levels as those of the state. Specifically, citizens’ overdue debts to the state already amount to €3.74 billion, which reflects a paradox: The state and taxpayers owe each other almost the same amount in total.
The state’s inability to meet its obligations to suppliers and businesses in a timely manner is intensifying pressures on market liquidity, depriving the country’s real economy of valuable resources.
At the same time, Greece’s post-bailout commitments – which provide for the complete zeroing of overdue debts – continue to remain active and are recorded in the regular reports compiled and made public by the institutions.