The Gouves Township's ability to pay for the employment for 58 people was the subject of MP Manolis Stratakis' recent parliament question to the Minister of Interior.

According to Gouves officials, 1.5 million euros was expected to come into the municipality's 2009 budget from municipal tourism taxes before the recent reduction of the municipal tax.

The money was slated to pay the salaries of the would-be-newly-contracted workers in 2009 – 18 with scientific training and 40 other regular workers – to cover the summer needs of the township.

Mr. Stratakis asked the Interior Ministry if they intend to finance the Gouves Demos, so that it can hire the workers without resorting to taking out costly loans at high interest rates from financial institutions.

"It is irrelevant" was the ministry's answer to Mr. Stratakis. Deputy minister Thanasis Nakos points out that although the municipal tourism taxes were reduced from 2 percent to 0.5 percent, the basic source of financing of municipalities and communities which comes from VAT and road taxes was strengthened considerably, presenting an increase of roughly 22 percent from last year's revenues which translates to a medium annual increase of 12 percent from previous years.