Benefits for wildfire sufferers
Benefits for wildfire sufferers
30 August 2007
published by www.ana.gr
Greece — Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos said on Wednesday that the 3,000 euros benefit for wildfire sufferers had started being paid in the morning with beneficiaries making a simple formal statement.
By the afternoon, a total of 7,496 applications had been submitted and the total amount corresponding to them was 24 million euros. By decision of Finance and Economy Minister George Alogoskoufis, all banks will be providing the benefits for wildfire sufferers, while their working hours have been extended to facilitate citizens.
Applications submitted are already being checked and stiff sanctions will be imposed on those attempting to deceive services.
Roussopoulos also termed as false and misleading evidence given by the main opposition PASOK party regarding the issuing of a travel advisory by the government of Australia, that is being sent through the electronic post to Australians all over the world. The minister said that there is no connection between the wildfires and the danger of a terrorist attack in the travel advisory’s text.
Referring to damage caused by the wildfires, Roussopoulos said that, according to the health ministry, 510 homes have been destroyed in the prefecture of Ilia, while the first nine prefabricated houses have been set up in the prefectures of Messinia and Laconia and another 35 will follow on Thursday.
The 1555 telephone line operating on a 24-hour basis has received 62,914 calls during the three days it has been operating and 84 percent of them concerned offers for the wildfire sufferers, while the remaining 16 percent requested information on measures that have been taken in regions affected by the wildfires.
