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This summer, beach concessions for businesses reached a record 1,650, far more than the Greek finance ministry's initial forecast of 1,200.
In another 150 cases, there were no concessions because there was insufficient interest or because the chosen concessionaire backed out of the deal.
At the same time, complaints about violations of the terms of the concessions by enterprises that expand their activities in areas not included in the terms of the concession or change the nature of their activities have increased. In one of the extreme cases, an entrepreneur who won a concession to operate a food cart on a public beach built facilities for a cafe bar and operated it.
As a result of the increase in complaints, state and local authorities conducted 10,000 inspections in July alone. The Treasury Department said more than 1,100 businesses had been inspected, including 290 in the past week. And although the violations are fewer, fines have so far exceeded 1.15 million euros.
In some cases, such as on the island of Paros, businesses operating illegally were forced to close, and someone who set up and charged for umbrellas was forced to refund the fees to unsuspecting customers and was also fined €51,000. The authorities used drones to detect the violations. According to independent researchers, prices paid by concessionaires to the state have increased by an average of 18% per square meter. I BGNES
