Awwal 05, 1432 H/Feb 08, 2011, SPA -- Greece may need to take extra action if it does not meet budget deficit targets, the chairman of the eurozone finance ministers Jean-Claude Juncker said during a visit to Athens Tuesday. "Greece will need to take further measures if it does not meet its targets," dpa cited Juncker as saying following talks with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. International Monetary Fund and European Union officials are currently in Athens to evaluate whether Greece has met fourth-quarter targets under a 110-billion-euro (150-billion-dollar) bailout plan that saved it from bankruptcy in May and qualifies for the next 15 billion euro aid instalment. Juncker said the general consensus in the EU was to extend the repayment schedule on Greece's EU loans. Greece has promised to push through deficit-reduction measures totalling 45 billion euros over 2010-2013. It is aiming to shrink its budget deficit by 5.5 percentage points to 8.1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year and bring it under the EU's 3-per-cent cap by 2014.
