Greece's new prime minister will on Thursday offer international lenders to hasten privatization and plans to downsize the public sector in return for more favourable bailout terms, media reports said, according to dpa. Antonis Samaras wants the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund - known as the troika - to give Greece more time to meet fiscal targets. Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras, who was sworn in on Thursday, held his first meeting with troika inspectors. He is expected to suggest that taxpayers be allowed to pay in installments, which will delay taxes worth 2.5 billion euros (3.1 billion dollars) until next year. Troika officials are expected to meet with Samaras later in the day. Greece needs international loans to avoid bankruptcy, but after two months of political deadlock, it has fallen behind on the reform agenda demanded by creditor, and is also struggling with a worsening recession and record unemployment of more than 22 per cent. -- SPA
