A misguided measure

The need for revenue “here and now” has never been a safe guide in politics. Plans being mulled by conservative officials to carry out yet another round of what is known in Greece as “peraiosi” (meaning the closure of pending tax cases by means of paying a fee to the tax authorities) appear to be motivated by similar concerns.

Reintroduing “peraiosi” would mark the hasty revival of an opportunistic revenue-collecting policy which, apart from being ambiguous as to the financial yield it will deliver, will also end up perpetuating the country’s dismal payment culture.