The Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos met today in his office with the Chairman of the Hellenic Postbank Mr. Cleon Papadopoulos.
The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Dimitris Elefsiniotis anf the Special Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence Mr. Antonis Oikonomou.
The subject of their meeting was the new program for the settlement of loans taken by Armed Forces’ military and civilian personnel from the Hellenic Postbank.
According to the program, the loans of thousands of men and women serving in the Ministry of National Defence will be settled, so that they will be given the possibility to:
a) Prolong the loan repayment time up to 20 years.
b) Freeze any payment up to 6 months.
c) Pay only the loan interest up to 2 years.
For example, by the new settlements, for a loan of €13,000 granted in 2007 with a monthly tranche of €187.13, after the aforementioned prolongation and settlement, the tranche will be drastically reduced and formed to €59.16.
After the completion of their meeting, Mr. Panagiotopoulos and Mr. Elefsiniotis made the following statements:
P. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: We welcome here today in the Ministry of National Defence the Chairman of the Hellenic Postbank Mr. Cleon Papadopoulos in order to seal the collaboration, the close collaboration between the Ministry of National Defence and the Hellenic Postbank.
Already the cooperation had begun delivering, with very positive results for thousands of militaries serving in the Armed Forces who are clients of the Hellenic Postbank.
It was an endeavour started by the current Deputy Minister Dimitris Elefsiniotis since he was Chief of the Hellenic Navy, one we enhanced even more and we are pleased to announce to the thousands of the men and women in the Armed Forces which have taken loans from the Hellenic Postbank that a favourable status for the settlement of their loans is now formed, which includes some very positive decisions that will make their lives much easier.
One of these settlements is, for example, the prolongation of the loan repayment. All those interested can directly contact the Hellenic Postbank branch offices, be informed on the content of this favourable regulation and sign the relative paperwork so that it can be applied to their case as well.
I would like to thank the administration of the Hellenic Postbank, the Chairman and his associates; to underline that we are always at their disposal and encourage them to proceed with more similar actions aiming at relieving big parts of the Greek people who are burdened by loans and whose difficult routine creates problems to the repayment of these loans.
K. PAPADOPOULOS: Just like Mr. Minister said, we stand by all our customers, but especially by the militaries that fight for our country and are under the charge of the Ministry of National Defence. And we hope that we will be able to help, even to some extent, with this action.
D. ELEFSINIOTIS: Comprehending the problem faced by thousands of the Armed Forces’ military and civilian personnel, especially at the borderline regions, we have been trying for two years now, with the Chairman of the Hellenic Postbank, to make some relieves concerning their loans; some facilitations concerning their loans.
With the guidance of the Minister, Mr. Panagiotopoulos, a second effort has been made which bore fruit, granting extensions, any facilitation the Hellenic Postbank could make.
