Greece: 16 billion euros have gone abroad since 2009
One third of these assets was deposited in banks in the UK, 10% in Switzerland. In total, the Greeks withdrew their banks 65 billion euros since the beginning of the debt crisis. The facade of the National Bank of Greece after a demonstration.
A total of 65 billion was withdrawn from banks in Greece since the beginning of the debt crisis in 2009, of which 16 billion was legally transferred to banks abroad, said Friday the Greek Minister of Finance Evangelos Venizelos, before Parliament, in response to questions from MPs in terms of debt restructuring and the new Greek EU aid, still under negotiation with creditors.
According to the minister, "32% of the 16 billion euros have been deposited in banks in the UK, and less than 10% in banks in Switzerland". According to figures from the Bank of Greece, deposits at end December 2009, banks in Greece, amounted to 237.3 billion euros, and in June 2011, they amounted to 188.1 billion euros. With a shortage of liquidity in the country, Evangelos Venizelos defended the new plan of European aid to Greece, which is to strengthen the capital of banks with 40 billion euros, and "ensure the economic recovery".
The recapitalization of Greek banks must intervene in the erasure under 50% of the nominal value of bonds held by private creditors to ease the debt burden of countries, which must pass 160% of GDP currently at 120% in 2020. The minister stressed the "importance" of the finalization of the agreement on debt relief and the payment of the new international loans to countries € 130 billion, agreed in October in Brussels by the euro area, to that the country avoids default in payment by March 20, when Greece must pay 14.5 billion euros of bonds due.