16.6 C
Los Angeles
Sunday, May 19, 2024

ISSN: 2251-1237

Greek debt crisis: Banks to remain shut all week

EconomyGreek debt crisis: Banks to remain shut all week
Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (L) is welcomed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (R) ahead of a meeting on Greece, at the European Commission in Brussels.
Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (L) is welcomed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (R) ahead of a meeting on Greece, at the European Commission in Brussels.

The Greek government has confirmed that banks will be closed all week, after a decision by the European Central Bank not to extend emergency funding.

In a decree, it cited the “extremely urgent” need to protect the financial system due to the lack of liquidity.

Cash withdrawals will be limited to €60 (£42; $66) a day for this period, the decree says.

Athens is due to make a €1.6bn payment to the IMF on Tuesday – the same day that its current bailout expires.

Greece crisis – live coverage

Earlier talks between Greece and the eurozone countries over bailout terms ended without an agreement, and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras then called for a referendum on the issue to be held on 5 July.

The parliament later ratified the plan to hold a referendum.

Greece risks default and moving closer to a possible exit from the 19-member eurozone.

The euro has fallen 2% against the dollar in Monday morning trading in Asian markets.

Worried Greeks have been queuing to withdraw their money, as fears of Greece leaving the euro grow stronger
Worried Greeks have been queuing to withdraw their money, as fears of Greece leaving the euro grow stronger

The decree was published in the official government gazette after the Greek cabinet took the decision at a marathon session late on Sunday.

The document said the measures – including the shutting down of the Athens stock exchange on Monday – were agreed as a result of the eurozone’s decision “to refuse the extension of the loan agreement with Greece”.

The €60 restriction on withdrawals will not apply to holders of foreign bank cards.

Mr Tsipras also said that Greek deposits were safe.

nullGreeks have been queuing to withdraw money from cash machines over the weekend, leaving a number of ATMs dry.However, the decree said that the cashpoints would “operate normally again by Monday noon at the latest”.

Eurozone finance ministers blamed Greece for breaking off the talks, and the European Commission took the unusual step on Sunday of publishing proposals by European creditors that it said were on the table at the time.

But Greece described creditors’ terms as “not viable”, and asked for an extension of its current deal until after the vote was completed.

“[Rejection] of the Greek government’s request for a short extension of the programme was an unprecedented act by European standards, questioning the right of a sovereign people to decide,” Mr Tsipras on Sunday said in a televised address.

He also said he had sent a new request for an extension to the bailout. “I am awaiting their immediate response to a fundamental request of democracy,” he added.

Check out our other content

Check out other tags:

Most Popular Articles