"Greece needs a leap in productivity if it wants to have sustainable prospects. We cannot continue to import much more than we export," Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos stressed on Friday in Parliament, where MPs voted in favour of a development ministry bill on quality policy, public contracts and modernising manufacturing in Attica, among others.
"There is, I think, no greater security for the country and nothing more important for the sustainable prospects of Greece, society and the nation than a strong, competitive and productive economy. Only such an economy can keep the younger generations of Greeks here," Theodorikakos added.
He emphasised that this required a national strategy and was the only way to secure the funds needed for Greece to be sufficiently armed and ready to face serious challenges and to ensure a steady increase in the income of all Greeks.
Theodorikakos stressed that the label "Made in Greece" must become a "real symbol of the quality and reliability of products and services and, at the same time, a great leap in the security of the citizens and the trust of Greek society."
The bill also included an amendment that automatically disqualified hundreds of investment plans that received financial support under the 2004 and 2011 developmental laws but were never completed, opening up the path for demanding the return of these funds with interest.