Greece needs 'several months' to overcome delayed state staff plan, says minister

ATHENS, Greece – A Greek minister in charge of reforming the country's bloated public sector says he will need "several months" to overcome delays in a staff restructuring program demanded by rescue creditors.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, appointed in a cabinet reshuffle last week, made the remarks late Tuesday after meetings with the "troika" of debt inspectors from the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.

The government has failed to sign up any public sector employees to a new mobility scheme — which includes involuntary staff transfers — that should have included 15,000 people by the end of 2012.

The troika officials are in Athens to approve bailout loan payouts worth 8.1 billion euros ($10.6 billion).