ATHENS: Greece appointed lawyer George Pitsilis as its top tax collection official, the country's finance ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Greece's top tax collector post has been vacant since October when the leftist government sacked Katerina Savvaidou, in a row over alleged delays in collecting taxes.

Pitsilis, 40, graduated from the Athens School of Law and also holds a tax law diploma from the university Pantheon-Sorbonne, the finance ministry said.

He has worked as a tax specialist at a Greek law firm and has been the tax advisor of Greece's bank association since 2010.

Copyright Reuters, 2016