Greece's beleaguered government said Thursday it will start taxing minimum-wage earners and encourage local banks to help the state delay debt payments for bonds maturing as late as 2015.

Evangelos Venizelos, the country's new finance minister, also said the government is encouraging a deferment scheme under the so-called "Vienna initiative," signing up private investors to voluntarily renew their debt holdings as they expire.

The next big challenge for Greece is to have parliament approve a new round of austerity measures before getting the vital next batch of loans, worth euro12 billion, out of its euro110 billion rescue fund from eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.

Venizelos predicted Thursday that the two-stage vote on June 28 and 30 would be successful, and he met with EU and IMF debt inspectors to discuss details of the new austerity plan worth a total of euro28 billion. The two sides reached broad agreement on the package late Thursday, with discussions on "minor details" left to be concluded Friday, two Greek government officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, in keeping with regulations.