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Greece is fast running out of cash and its euro zone and
International Monetary Fund lenders have frozen bailout aid
until the new leftist-led government reaches agreement on a
package of reforms.
That prompted the interior minister to suggest this week that
Athens would prioritize wages and pensions over the roughly 450
million euro ($489 million) payment to the IMF, though the
government denied that was its stance.
Euro zone officials then said Greece told them it will run out
of money on April 9, which the finance ministry denied saying.
"We strive to be able to pay our obligations on time, Dimitris
Mardas told Greece's Skai TV. "We are ready to pay on April 9."
Athens has not received bailout funds since August last year and
has resorted to last-ditch measures such as borrowing from state
entities via repo transactions to tide it through the cash
crunch.
The government is hoping approval of its latest reforms package
will unlock remaining aid of 7.2 billion euros under its EU/IMF
bailout and lead to the return of about 1.9 billion euros in
profits made by the European Central Bank on Greek bonds.
Mardas said state revenue in March had topped targets without
providing figures, adding that progress had been made in talks
with the country's official international on its latest the
reforms list.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Greece would receive
fresh funds only once its creditors approve the comprehensive
list of reforms Athens has presented.
(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Deepa
Babington/JeremY Gaunt)
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