Filenews 17 March 2023 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
The identification and recording, by banks and loan servicing companies, of truly strategic defaulters is considered an urgent necessity by the new Government and will be taken into account in its proposals to address the open wound of non-performing loans and foreclosures.
According to information from Phileleftheros, the Ministry of Finance, in cooperation with the Central Bank, will open a dialogue in the coming days with the banks, so that loans can be categorized as soon as possible, with the aim of identifying strategic defaulters, which is a constant demand of parties and social actors, so that any measures to relieve or facilitate borrowers who are unable to fully respond do not stumble upon the alibi of borrowers who deliberately avoid repaying loans.
Yesterday, Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, speaking on Alpha's midday show, said that it is possible to identify strategic defaulters, pointing out that when he was at Hellenic Bank, these borrowers were known. The determination of strategic defaulters will be one of the measures that the Government will promote for foreclosures. The Parliament has given an ultimatum until March 27 to the minister to table these proposals for a holistic approach to the problem.
At the same time, the minister stressed that foreclosures should not be suspended, as there is a risk of downgrading by rating agencies. "If there are these downgrades and if the costs go up, then there will be a problem for the taxpayers," he added.
In addition to categorizing borrowers, the Ministry of Finance will examine all 13 party bills pending in Parliament. In addition, it will seek to reinstate the proposal for the operation of special jurisdiction at the level of the District Court, known as the Foreclosure Court.
