Greece’s Grating Graduation Ceremony

Greek share performance remained above the Europe average into August, the date for final exit from almost EUR 300 billion in serial EU-led rescue packages, as record tourism combined with estimated 2% growth and official debt relief though maturity extension to work away at the 180% of GDP load.  International agencies will continue with quarterly checks, and capital controls will stay in place in the immediate transition ahead of parliamentary elections next year. Prime Minister Tsipras and his party are behind in opinion surveys, and wildfire spread claiming lives and property added to subdued sentiment. In July US private equity giant KKR struck a deal for EUR 150 million in bad loans as they still account for half of bank portfolios after rounds of European Central Bank liquidity injection. With asset and labor costs slashed during the crisis, venture firms are considering existing and new industry acquisitions, mainly as a regional springboard with domestic unemployment at 20% and poverty one-third the population. The government is committed to a 3.5% of GDP primary budget surplus the next five years, with a lower income tax threshold kicking in at end-decade. The IMF’s latest Article IV consultation praised “stability,” but noted that real output is just three-quarters of the pre-crisis peak. Competitiveness lags neighbors, and approaching polls bring “uncertain” reform direction. The current account gap shrank on import compression, and government arrears were EUR 4 billion at the end of April, with reduced pension spending driving fiscal adjustment. Voluntary external bond markets reopened in 2017 for liability management operations, and benchmark 10-year yields were 4% following ratings upgrades. Bank balance sheets are still a mess with flat credit, although private deposits are up on the way back to 2015 size.

Public and commercial investment will enable future recovery, including from privatization deals, while net exports are marginal. The Fund urged greater flexibility rather than caps on healthcare and civil service outlays while further rationalizing the tax code. Legislation should allow out-of-court debt restructuring alongside existing strides in household and business insolvency. Bank governance standards are not best practice, and deferred tax credits comprise too large a portion of capital as new international financial reporting norms apply. Small enterprises deprived of credit demand creation of a dedicated development lender, but consideration should not divert cleanup attention, the report implies. Labor market and minimum wage rules remain rigid, and previously closed professions and licensing are not as strict, but more progress should be a priority. Anti-corruption agencies are now stronger in principle, but implementation and independence continue in question, according to the review. Greece’s 10% loss on the MSCI Index was in contrast to Turkey’s 35% through July, as the lira neared 5/dollar with the central bank on hold against double-digit inflation and currency depreciation. President Erdogan’s son-in-law was put in charge of economic policy after the ruling party joined with a right-wing counterpart to secure a parliamentary majority, and he has blamed “foreign disruption” for overheated growth and overstretched bank concerns.’