Greece's government resumed on Thursday crucial talks with visiting troika inspectors in Athens on the terms of the disbursement of further bailout aid to the cash-stripped country this spring.

Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras held a first meeting with representatives of European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF) lenders who returned to the Greek capital to continue an audit of the austerity and reform program after a three-week break over outstanding issues.

On the agenda of talks between foreign auditors and Greek officials remains a string of contentious unresolved issues, such as the shrinking of the overstaffed public sector and taxation.

Stournaras presented to his interlocutors on Thursday the decision reached by government coalition partners on Wednesday evening to replace an emergency real estate levy introduced in 2011 with a new unified property tax this year which will ease the average tax by 15 percent.

The aim is to ease the burden on recession-hit households and enterprises. But lenders express doubt whether by opting for some breathing space rather than accelerating efforts Greece will manage to cover a 2.5-billion-euro (3.2-billion-US dollar) fiscal gap forecast for this year which is attributed to revenues shortfalls and meet deficit- reduction targets.

The argument applies as well to Athens' request for the reduction of the VAT on food catering from the current 23 percent to 13 percent and for an extension to the repayment of bank loans and insurance contributions for low-income earners and recession-hit enterprises.

Another thorny issue in talks between the two sides is the reduction of the number of civil servants under bailout deals signed since 2010 to grant Greece a multi-billion-euro lifeline to avoid chaotic bankruptcy in exchange of tough austerity and reform measures.

Lenders add pressure for the immediate dismissal of some 25,000 employees in 2013 and a total of 150,000 by 2016.

Auditors still appear unimpressed by the government's alternative labor reserve scheme and a plan to fire a few thousands civil servants prosecuted for severe disciplinary offenses, according to media reports.

A key issue in deliberations with troika envoys this time is also the ongoing recapitalization of Greek banks in the aftermath of the Cyprus banking crisis in March.

Amid reports that lenders now view with skepticism the merger of Greece's two biggest lenders, National Bank and Eurobank, for fear of a Cyprus-like crisis, Greek officials argue that the merger which is already under way will strengthen Greece's banking system.

According to Finance Ministry sources, Greece hopes to have clinched a deal with auditors by April 12 in time for a Eurogroup meeting which could clear the release of the 2.8-billion-euro loan installment delayed since March and also the next tranche of an additional 6 billion euros. (1 euro= 1.28 US dollars)