The Greek government was rushing to finalise a new package of austerity cuts Friday, just as senior auditors from the country's international creditors began arriving in Athens to determine whether it can receive the next tranche of emergency aid, dpa reported. A junior team of auditors has been in the Greek capital since Wednesday to monitor efforts to push through additional budget cuts worth 11.5 billion euros (14.5 billion dollars). The latest package of austerity measures was originally expected to have been adopted in June, but was pushed back when back-to-back elections were held. A privatization plan, predicted to earn 19 billion euros by 2015, is also behind schedule. While the new measures have not yet been finalized, they are likely to include further cuts to the salaries and benefits, including pensions, of several groups of employees on the state payroll. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was to hold talks with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy later on Friday. Officials from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), collectively known as the troika, will hold their first round of talks with Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras on Sunday. Troika officials are scheduled to meet with Samaras on Monday. A report from the troika, expected by the end of September or early October, is essential for Greece to receive the next 31.5 billion euros in aid. Without the money, Greece would be forced to default on its debt.
