The payment of increased pensions, as well as an increase in the country’s credit rating by Fitch House, is mentioned, among other things, in its now created Sunday post about facebookwhich sums up the work of the government during the week spent by the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

As part of his official visit to Japan, the Prime Minister immediately notes that this is “an important visit to one of the largest economies in the world and a country with which we hope to establish even closer relations.” .

He then makes special mention of his recent tour of Crete, while highlighting the main directions of the Crete 2030 development plan.

“Good morning from Japan! What are we doing here? This is an important visit to one of the largest economies in the world and a country with which we hope to establish even closer relations. Let me just remind you that institutional investors from Japan stopped investing in Greek bonds during the crisis years because of the loss of investment grade.So now that we are one step away from restoring it, a visit here is more than timely.There are many meetings that I will talk about next week.In our own problems this week, I have highlighted small and large actions , but all of them, I believe, have a positive effect on people’s lives.Or, as I recently read in a Japanese proverb: “Even dust, if collected, can become a mountain.”

A “small” but very important project is a new integrated psychogeriatric support program. It concerns residents of remote islands and critical areas and aims to facilitate their access to mental health services. It has already been joined by 441 beneficiaries with an average age of 72 years. It may seem like a small number, but it’s not.

Think about it. The 441 older people living in remote areas will now have easy access to mental health services. This is not at all trivial. And this action is in addition to other services already in place, such as: the 1102 dementia support line, the telepsychiatry and telemedicine for outlying areas such as Kastelorizo ​​and Symi, as well as the establishment of new mental health structures to support dementia-Alzheimer’s patients who work at Alexandroupolis University General Hospital and Heraklion University General Hospital, Crete.

And since we are talking about old age, the payment of increased pensions (for old age, disability or widowhood) to about 2.5 million pensioners also began this week. For the first time in 10 years, the majority of pensioners will receive an increase – by 2023, one in two will receive the equivalent of at least one additional pension.

Over the past 3.5 years, we have taken many measures to increase the income of the unemployed. Let me remind you about the increase to 8% for those who had an insurance record of more than 30 years and a reduction in the tax rate from 22% to 9% on the lowest tax scale (which means, in simple words, that instead of a pensioner giving 100 euros, 22 to the tax, now gives 9 euros). We have reduced pension deductions from 60% to 30% for working retirees, lifted the €1,300 ceiling for core and supplementary retirees, and increased three times the Christmas and Easter Emergency to support the income of over 1 million poor retirees.

In terms of the economy, there is another positive news, as yesterday we received an upgrade of the country’s credit rating by another rating agency. We now have 12 updates from 2019 to today, giving us a respite from our goal of returning our home country in 13 years to the club of worthy investment grade countries. Why does it matter? Think of it like a chain: this results in lower borrowing costs and servicing our debt, so more money needs to be spent on schools, health care, security, and more foreign investment in Greece, which means more and better jobs with higher GDP.

I continue photovoltaics on the roof. In September, we announced a new program to install solar energy systems for households, professionals and farmers. Thus, this program has entered the implementation stage, and the cost coverage for the installation of photovoltaic panels on rooftops will reach 40% to 60%.

A total of 250,000 solar panels will be subsidized – 150,000 for residential rooftops, 75,000 for commercial rooftops and 75,000 for agricultural farms.

Two great news in the energy sector come from Thessaloniki. At first glance, they have nothing to do with state policy – but they have, and, moreover, a lot. I will explain.

Technology has advanced to the point where it is possible to produce flexible and translucent photovoltaic panels that can be printed on 3D printers. They can be placed anywhere: on rooftops, awnings, windows, cars, and even on clothes! They are lightweight and require minimal space.

The news is that their first manufacturing facility in the world will be in Thessaloniki as part of a major European program. Many countries claimed this, but Greece won, which, thanks to our policy over the past 3.5 years, has become an attractive place for investment.

The second great news, again from Thessaloniki, is that a pioneering Nanotechnology Laboratory has opened at the Aristotle University. LTFN – AUTH is being upgraded to a first line research center with a budget of 30 million euros (50% from EU funds, 50% from national funding) and with actors such as universities. Cambridge and Bordeaux.

These two projects will create new and very good jobs for qualified personnel from Greece, and also, why not, for those who left during the memorandum years and want to return.

Let’s dwell on the topic of clean energy, and now let’s move from Thessaloniki to the Cyclades. Santorini, Folegandros, Milos and Serifos, our four beautiful islands will be freed from polluting oil-fired power plants. How it will happen; By connecting the southwestern Cyclades to mainland Greece.

This is a very important project implemented through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, with a budget of 524 million euros. So within a week ADMI and the European Investment Bank have signed a contract to finance the submarine connection of the islands with 350 km of cables.

I started with a Japanese proverb. I’ll end with a mandinade:

In any weather

And no matter how dark

We will change our world

Continuity to Sunny!

I dedicate it to all the people of Crete, but especially to those who gave us such a warm welcome last Wednesday. We were there to present our ambitious yet realistic Crete 2030 programme. This is a package of 480+ small and large interventions with a budget of 7.7 billion Euro.

The program works in four areas: the development of modern networks and infrastructures, the modernization of agricultural production, combined with the transition to environmentally friendly technologies, the implementation of investments that will provide added value in many sectors, from culture to research and innovation, and, finally, the improvement of the quality of life of residents .

Thanks to this program, the largest island region of Greece is embarking on a path of revival. It takes advantage of the island’s great strengths: its unique primary production, its dynamic processing, its worldwide reputation as a tourist destination. As well as the strategic position of Crete and its inexhaustible natural resources, which in a few years will produce exceptionally clean and cheap energy. And always with respect for its unique natural beauty and centuries-old cultural heritage.

And one more thing: we are ready to make a deadline dikty “False Mountain”, and thus we will have two Faithful Mountains in Crete. To date, we have designated 8 massifs as Lost Mountains (Chaos, Smolikas, TumfiTaygetos, Hatzi, Agrafa, Mainalos, White Mountains). They will be added Dikty. And what does it mean? How they are in a highly enhanced environmental protection regime. In fact, no interference is allowed that will change the character of the mountains and help the development of flora and fauna.

I am closing here after this little imaginary “walk” through the mountains of our country. And thank you very much for your time.”