Το bloomberg κ οι υπολοιποι βγαζουν το πρωτογενες πλεονασμα 1,1 δις κ οχι 2,6 που λεει η κυβερνηση με τοκους ομολογων

Greece’s economic contraction this year will be less than forecast as tourism reaches a record and 2014 will see growth, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said.

“This year the recession will be shallower than forecast with tourism seeing a record year as visitor numbers are expected to reach or even surpass 18 million, the first time so many tourists were seen in Greece,” Samaras said in a speech today in the northern port city of Thessaloniki.

Tourism is forecast to generate more than 11 billion euros ($14.5 billion) in direct income and over 30 billion euros in indirect revenue for Greece this year, “levels that weren’t budgeted for at the beginning of the year,” Samaras said.

Greece’s economy contracted 3.8 percent in the second quarter, the least in three years, beating an initial estimate of 4.6 percent on an improved performance in trade and tourism, the Hellenic Statistical Service said yesterday.

Greece is within reach of achieving a primary budget surplus in 2013 that will open the way for debt relief in 2014 and that “will allow the country to leave behind the era of troika agreements,” Samaras said.

The country already had a budget surplus of 1.1 billion euros in the first seven months and the figures for August “already seem very promising given increased revenue from tourism,” he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Eleni Chrepa in Athens at echrepa@bloomberg.net; Paul Tugwell in Athens at ptugwell1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jerrold Colten at jcolten@bloomberg.net