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Greek banks to stay closed Tuesday and Wednesday

06 July 2015, 21:48 CET
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(ATHENS) - Greek banks will remain closed on Tuesday and Wednesday with limits on daily withdrawals unchanged, officials said on Monday as the European Central Bank maintained its liquidity assistance to the nation's beleaguered lenders.

"Until Wednesday evening we continue as things stand today," said Louka Katseli, chairwoman of the National Bank of Greece.

"If there is a decision by the European Central Bank in the meantime enabling us to modify this decision, there will be a new decision," she added, speaking on behalf of the association of Greek banks.

The European Central Bank's governing council decided to maintain the emergency liquidity assistance keeping Greek banks afloat at the level set on June 26, the Frankfurt-based bank said in a statement.

But the ECB said it had also "adjusted" the collateral demanded from Greek banks in return for the assistance.

"The financial situation of the Hellenic Republic has an impact on Greek banks since the collateral they use in ELA relies to a significant extent on government-linked assets," it said.

"In this context, the governing council decided today to adjust the haircuts on collateral accepted by the Bank of Greece for ELA," the ECB added, without specifying the level.

Capital controls were enacted on June 28, limiting ATM withdrawals by Greeks to 60 euros ($67) per account daily after a referendum on bailout terms sparked a run on deposits.

The Bank of Greece had requested an increase in emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) and that request was the subject of the ECB meeting, held a day after 61 percent of Greeks voted against further austerity measures in Sunday's plebiscite.

ELA is currently the only source of financing for Greek banks, and therefore the Greek economy. But with Greece's bailout programme now officially expired and in the absence of any new programme, the conditions for its continuation are no longer met.

But analysts believe the ECB will not want to be the one to pull the plug on Greece and force the country out of the single currency.

 


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