Officials say Greece may announce a number of privatisation deals this week as the debt-hit country comes under increasing pressure from its creditors to meet tough fiscal targets. - File photo

STRASBOURG: EU and IMF auditors, who hold the keys to eight billion euros ($11 billion) of blocked loans that Greece needs to avoid a default next month, will return to Athens on Wednesday or Thursday, eurozone chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday.

Juncker was referring to chief auditors from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund that are monitoring Greece's implementation of bailout loan conditions. The troika chiefs left Athens abruptly on Sept 2.

The loans form the sixth installment of a 110-billion-euro bailout agreed in May last year, and the uncertainty over whether they would be paid after weeks of delay is “scaring the world,” US President Barack Obama said on Monday.

Despite the return of these auditors, Juncker ruled out a decision on the loans' disbursement being taken when eurozone finance ministers meet on Monday in Luxembourg.

Juncker repeated it was “essential” to have all 17 eurozone countries ratify new powers for the main bailout vehicle, the European Financial Stability Facility, by mid-October, when Greece has said it will start running out of money to pay its bills.

In Athens, Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos insisted the payment would be made “on time” in October, repeating assurances that the country would not default.

“It will be decided in October (the release of the installment). The disbursement will be decided on time and according to our needs,” Venizelos said.

Officials say Greece may announce a number of privatisation deals this week as the debt-hit country comes under increasing pressure from its creditors to meet tough fiscal targets.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the eurozone's de facto paymaster, in Berlin on Tuesday evening.— AFP