The main Greece’s stock index, the Athens, has fallen by 22.87% as trading resumes after a five-week closure. The country's top four lenders were the biggest fallers, all down by 30%. Banks make up about a fifth of the index. Traders had predicted sharp losses as a result of pent-up trading. Earlier last month, the International Monetary Fund and Greece's other creditors, the European Central Bank and European Commission, approved a new 95 billion dollars bailout program for Athens in exchange for painful budget cuts, tax increases and economic reforms. The 11th-hour agreement appeared to avert Greece's potential exit from the Eurozone, and could allow it to make billions of dollars in debt repayments as soon as this month.
To assist us on this program,
• Dr Peter Karungu: African Economic Expert:
• Elizabeth Sidiropoulos: Chief Executive of the South African Institute of International Relations:
• Annabel Bishop: Investec Chief Economist:
And Brooks Spector : Associate Editor at the Daily Maverick and a retired American Diplomat
