Greece dismisses report on preparing IOUs to pay state pensions, wages

Greece's finance ministry on Wednesday dismissed a newspaper report that the country was preparing to issue a second currency to pay state pensions and wages and the end of the July.

Citing unidentified sources, Kathimerini newspaper reported that Greece's General Accounting Office was preparing issuing IOUs, known as warrants, to pay the wages and pensions of state workers at the end of the month if there was no deal between Greece and its lenders by then.

"The report is totally baseless. Such reports are directed against the country and considered dangerous at a time when negotiations with creditors partners are at a crucial point," the finance ministry said in a statement. [Reuters]