Naphezu kokudlondlobala kwenkinga yezimali, iGreece isanethemba lokuthuthuka kwayo kwezokuvakasha. Umlayezo udluliselwe nguNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha waseGreece u-Aris Spiliotopoulos, ogqamise amasu ezokuvakasha zamaGreki ngesikhathi sombukiso wokuvakasha wamazwe ngamazwe waseGreece iPhiloxenia eThessaloniki.
Kusukela ekuqaleni kuka-2007, iGreece ihlele kabusha isu layo, igcizelela ikakhulukazi ukuvakasha okuyikhwalithi nosimeme. “Sihlala endaweni ebizwa nge-euro-zone okwenza indawo okuyiwa kuyo iGreece ibize kakhulu kunomakhelwane bethu. Kufanele-ke sibe nokuncintisana ngokuthuthukisa izinga lethu ngokuhlonipha ngokugcwele indawo esihlala kuyo. Kufanele nakanjani sivule ikhasi lokuma 'kolwandle nelanga' okuyingqayizivele,” kusho u-Aris Spiliotopoulos.
Njengoba amaphesenti angu-18 esabelo ku-GDP yezwe kanye nomsebenzi onikezwe abantu abangu-850,000, ezokuvakasha zisewumsebenzi obaluleke kakhulu eGreece. Ukubaluleka okuchaza futhi isabelomali sokumaketha esilandelanayo sama-Euro ayizigidi ezingama-40 ngonyaka ka-2008 esabelwe uMnyango Wezokuvakasha.
Ngokuka Spiliotopoulos, umnyango wezokuvakasha unethemba lokwenyuka ngamaphesenti ayi-7 ngo-2009, naphezu kwenkinga yezimali emhlabeni jikelele. “Ngeke ngikwazi ukwenaba kabanzi ngalokhu njengoba isinqumo sisezandleni zoMnyango wezeziMali,” engeza.
Kungqongqoshe uSpiliotopoulos, kubonakala sengathi iGreece imelana kahle nokwehla kwenani labavakashi abafika emhlabeni wonke okubangelwe yinkinga yezomnotho eqhubekayo. “Nakuba abafika emoyeni behle kancane ngamaphesenti angu-1.8, sisaqhubeka nokuqopha izinga lokukhula ngamaphesenti angu-10 kwabafika olwandle ngisho namaphesenti angu-30 kwabafika ngomgwaqo. Lokhu kumele kuqhathaniswe neSpain noma iTurkey eziqopha ukwehla kwesidingo samaphesenti angu-5 kulo nyaka noma ngaphezulu.”
Intuthuko esimeme namuhla iphezulu kakhulu ku-ajenda yoMnyango Wezokuvakasha. “Sesivele sibusisekile ngokuthi sifulathele intuthuko enkulu yezokuvakasha esikhathini esedlule. Ngokuphambene nabanye esiqhudelana nabo eMedithera, ugu lwethu namanje alukakathintwa futhi aluvikelekile ezingxenyeni ezinkulu zokuhlala zikakhonkolo, "kusho uNgqongqoshe uSpiliotopoulos.
Umnyango wezokuvakasha wenze amaphrojekthi okuhlukanisa imikhiqizo yezokuvakasha yaseGreece, ikakhulukazi ngokukhomba imisebenzi ekhethekile. Kutshalwe izimali ezintsha ezingu-14 ezweni lonke, ukulungiswa kwamahhotela angaphezu kuka-200, ukuthuthukiswa kwezokuvakasha kwezolimo, ezokuvakasha kwamadolobha noma ukwethulwa kwamalebula amahhotela ezitolo ezinkulu kanye namahhotela alungele imvelo. Ukuphromotha futhi kuyasheshiswa ezifundeni ezaziwa kancane njengeMacedonia, Thrace noma Epirus. “Yonke le miklamo ikhombisa ukuthi ngaphezu kwakho konke, sinendaba nokusimama kwezokuvakasha ukuze senzele ikusasa lethu. Asinazo izinsiza ezingashi. Ngakho-ke asihlosile ukuphinda kabili isibalo sabavakashi bethu baminyaka yonke kusukela kwabafika ezigidini eziyi-15 kuye kwezingama-30. Ukube bekunjalo, besizocekela phansi ingqalasizinda yethu futhi siqede yonke imithombo yethu yemvelo,” kusho uNgqongqoshe uSpiliotopoulos.
Ungqongqoshe waseGreece uyavuma ukuthi le nkinga izoshiya ukushicilelwa kwayo emisebenzini yezokuvakasha ngo-2009 kodwa ukholelwa ukuthi imizamo yokuhlukanisa imikhiqizo yezokuvakasha kanye nezimakethe ezingenayo isivele ithela izithelo: “Sibona ukukhula okuqinile okuvela eYurophu Ephakathi naseMpumalanga. Sisanda kuvula ihhovisi eBucharest futhi sibheka ukuqinisa imisebenzi yokumaketha eMpumalanga Ephakathi, eLatin America, e-Ukraine, eNdiya, eChina naseRussia.”
Imikhankaso yokumaketha phesheya iye yasekelwa uphawu oluthuthukisiwe nesiqubulo esisha, “iGreece, isipiliyoni sangempela,” ngokusetshenziswa kakhulu kwemithombo yezokuxhumana. “Zonke lezi zinhlelo sezinonyaka zasungulwa. Kusiza kakhulu ukukhombisa ukuthi ezokuvakasha zaseGreece zihlukile futhi zizomelana nenkinga yezimali emhlabeni,” kuphetha ungqongqoshe.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- The Greek minister acknowledges that the crisis will certainly leave its print on tourism activities in 2009 but he believes that efforts to diversify the tourism products as well as incoming markets already pay off.
- Investments have been made for 14 new marinas around the country, the renovation of over 200 hotels, the development of agro-tourism, city break tourism or the launching of labels for boutique hotels as well as eco-friendly hotels.
- “I cannot elaborate more on this as the decision is into the hands of the Ministry of Finance,” he added.
