The government has prepared the ground for a significant increase in investment in the country from 2008 onwards, Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis said on Wednesday, while urging ELKE to play an even more active role in efforts to attract FDI.

''We view 2008 as a year that will be marked by important investments, despite the considerable uncertainties in the global economy. Thanks to the work we have done in the previous years and the reforms - particularly the tax reform - we have laid the foundations that will enable a significant increase in investment in 2008, 2009 and in subsequent years,'' Alogoskoufis said, speaking at a traditional New Year cake-cutting ceremony at the Hellenic Centre for Investment (ELKE).

''We have the investment law, in the framework of which investments totalling 8.7 billion euros have been approved, we have the Public Private Partnerships, we have the public investments and we have the various programmes for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

The Hellenic Centre for Investment (ELKE), whose mission is to attract large-scale investments to Greece, must play an even more active role. I am aware that you are making every effort to advance major investment plans which have been left to gather dust for various bureaucratic reasons. There is now a new business plan, which we shall be examining with the chairman and the chief executive officer, so that the final approvals can be given - including by ELKE's board of directors - and its implementation can commence in 2008. So that ELKE can play an even more dynamic role as the main centre for major investments in Greece. And so it can make an even greater contribution to efforts to render the Greek economy more outward-looking. For such an orientation is not just about exports, but also about attracting Foreign Direct Investment. And in this respect, despite the progress made in recent years, there is still enormous margin for even greater accomplishments in 2008 and beyond,'' Alogoskoufis said.