Privatisation -- Greek style

Or, how to raise money even when the crisis is hitting you hard and you have no money: recruit a crony as a contractor to make sure the money does not go astray!
God forbid that we waste money on education, pensions, improving public facilities, or public health...

Incredulous?
See below:

The Greek Socialist government has announced its decision to embark upon an extensive privatisation and assets sell-out programme, expected (by said government) to raise Euro: 50 billion by 2015. The figure was revised to "between 15-50" billion later.

Two ministries (Finance & Commerce) contracted out this job to NBG Group and CC&C advisors.
While NBG is Greece's largest banking concern and has been around for a while, CC&C advisors has the obvious advantage of not having been around for any while; it is a 1 GBP, same day on-line formation, company formed 14th December 2010. CC&C does not exist in fact.

CC&C is a 1 pound company formed by one Christopher Uregian, researcher at the World Bank. Chris exists, of course! Presumably one of the Cs in CC&C is for Christopher; the jury is still out on the remaining two.
This is a relatively recent photo of Chris:
Christopher has 4 years working experience. Christopher entered a quickie company in London and signed on with the Greek State as a contractor.
He will receive Euro 50k as consieration for his services, as well as a "bonus" from any success based on his services... not bad for a young researcher at the World Bank.
One of Campion's more successful graduates, to be sure!

Of course, it is useful if your family lives in Greece and owns an investment and estate development firm, ARIS UREGIAN... and a financial broker's license.

The point ιs, of course, that Chris is NOT at fault in any way. On the contrary he has an excellent assignment to show on his resume, following which he may negoatiate a better position at WB or back home.

The same cannot be said of the inane dignitaries that plague the country.-


This is a photo of Christopher's firm's (CC&C) declared headquarters in London England:Of course, no company of that name is known to inhabitants of that building -- let alone the first floor of that building where the company offices are declared to be.

Leather Lane, a well-known and busy business abode is seen below:
Just the place to set up office if you are to consult a country on privatising its assets.
Obviously, Christopher, entered a quickie company in London and signed on with the Greek State as a contractor.

Isn't it good to know that Greek politics have turned over... the same leaf!

Many Greeks deserve better -- not Greece...

Most, in fact.

Until recently, Greece was a country that was doing OK on borrowed money and little real income. A pretend country, Greece operated as a facsimile of a real country -- i.e. as if it actually had infrastructure, national consensus, a sense of national identity, communal values, etc...

Greece was very much a large corporation with its major shareholders (a score of business families) & Board (politicians and sundry, around 10,000 strong) which played at being a country...

Then the going got tough and the Greek government and Administration fell apart -- because it never was there for tough times in the first place. It was never, nor was intended ever to be, tough "enough".

The crisis blew the pretence sky-high.

The crisis also left 9.5 million odd Greeks in the middle of a wasteland.
These are the normal people, little people, who thought they lived in a normal country, who had their doubts, aspirations, hopes, etc...

• who saw their property prices rise and smiled at the easy way they made money out of gran's old piece of in the village;
• who did their best to avoid tax;
• some of whom also evaded tax (apart from the country's quasi owners: lawyers and doctors).

Now, the burden of paying for other peoples' money has fallen on those Greeks who cannot -- or know not how to avoid tax. So they pay more. Even retirees saw their pensions cut.

Greek politicians increased their income.

Really Greeks deserve better -- even if their official State does not.