Greece Could Get New Bailout Assistance

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    News agencies reported on Tuesday that a year after Athens arranged a $158 billion bailout, the debt-ridden government is looking for more aid to cover its operations for the next two years. In addition to new financing, the European Union and International Monetary¹ Fund could also extend the length of time Greece would have to pay back last year's loans.

    The Greek(希腊) Finance Ministry² said details have yet to be worked out on any new financing. One senior official said decisions could be made as soon as next month.

    Greece has imposed a variety of spending austerity measures and new taxes, but is plagued by a shrinking economy, higher borrowing costs and falling tax revenues. The Standard & Poor's financial services firm cut the country's credit rating on Monday over concerns that lenders might have to extend the time for Athens to repay its debts.

    Financial analysts³ say further assistance for Greece is temporarily good news, but that its underlying⁴ financial problems remain a concern. There is not unanimous European support for further financial assistance for Greece.

    Voters in Finland gave new support to anti-bailout lawmakers in last month's national election. German Chancellor⁵ Angela Merkel, who oversees⁶ Europe's strongest economy, says it is too soon to decide what, if anything, needs to be done to further aid Greece.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

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