The issues that concern them were put to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis by representatives of productive and scientific bodies, during the meeting he had with them in Thessaloniki

The president of the Trade Association of Thessaloniki, Pantelis Filippidis, raised the issue of profiteering and suggested that citizens participate in the whole effort with a boycott against products.

He also referred to imputed income, saying that it does not exist in any part of the world, trade has profits and losses and he is waiting for Mr. Mitsotakis’ position during the speech at the opening of the 88th TIF on September 7.

The president of the Association of Hoteliers of Thessaloniki, Andreas Mandrinos, asked to improve the situation at the entry gates in Northern Greece and to combine the Mikras Metro station with the “Macedonia” airport as soon as possible.

The president of the Chamber of Halkidiki, Yiannis Koufidis, apologized for what has been happening in Halkidiki lately (death of a 19-year-old man in an amusement park, drowning of an 8-year-old girl in a camping pool, etc.). He pointed out that possibly one of the reasons this is happening is the lack of services in Halkidiki, because due to its proximity to Thessaloniki, employees use mobility to serve in a large urban center. That is why he emphasized the need for the services to function as they should.

He also raised the problem of water in Halkidiki which, as he said, due to the climate crisis, has become more intense for both tourism and businesses, such as those whose object is olive processing.

The president of the Industrial Chamber of Thessaloniki, Anastasios Kapnopolis, emphasized the need for a friendly business environment with a stable tax regime, the strengthening of extroversion, the emphasis on the circular economy, but also the creation of special incentives for manufacturing and especially for energy-intensive businesses.

“We have another difficult winter ahead of us, in conditions of high structural inflation, monetary and fiscal tightening. For their part, small and medium-sized enterprises remain alert, fighting against perennial but also new problems, such as the increase in costs, the accumulation of liabilities due to successive crises, the lack of human resources, but also regional inequalities, the difficulty of access in financing, the lack of investment tools that meet their needs,” said Mr. Kapnopolis.

The president of the Federation of Professionals and Merchants of the Thessaloniki Prefecture, Giorgos Moutsogiannis, said that the last 14 years have been a period of enormous testing for entrepreneurship and formulated the following demands:

-Complete abolition of the unfair measure of presumptive taxation of professionals.

-Complete abolition of the pretense fee for natural and legal persons.

-Reduction of advance tax for legal entities.

-Increasing the income tax installments to 12 from the current 8.

– To reinstate or immediately vote for arrangements of debts to Insurance Funds and Taxes in at least 120 installments without the prohibitive or restrictive conditions for the greatest possible inclusion of professionals.

-Give a state subsidy for electricity price increases, both for households and businesses.

-Legislative intervention to prohibit electricity supply interruptions to households and professionals due to debts from the energy crisis period.

– To protect professional housing with a two-year extension for all contracts expiring this year.

The rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Charalambos Feidas, filed a memorandum in which he notes that AUTH is currently investing in three areas: in research and innovation, in the internationalization of studies and research, and in digital transformation.

Regarding the operation of the AUTH, he makes the following requests:

– Financial aid to HEIs to cover their operational needs with

gradual increase in funding.

– Reinforcement with executive potential at all levels and especially of AUTH, in

administrative and technical staff.

– Improvement of building infrastructures and their further development

He notes that a long-term development goal is the spatial development of AUTH on privately owned lands, as it is now suffocating on the 470 acres of the central campus in the city and needs the help of the government and the region to find the financial means for the

realization of this vision.

In a memorandum filed by the Central Macedonia Department of the Geotechnical Chamber, it makes the following requests:

1. National or European funding of specialized geotechnical research to address the climate crisis.

2. National or European funding for the preparation of studies and the construction of geotechnical / technical projects for water conservation and flood protection.

3. Reconstitution of Agricultural Applications, in order to spread to Greek farmers in a timely, experiential and efficient way the knowledge of the required adaptations of crops / livestock to the new conditions.

4. Reconstitution of the Forestry Services with a decisive role in the prevention and suppression of forest fires, as well as the re-operation of an organic unit of Hydronomic (technical and phytotechnical) and Anti-Flood works & Forest Hydrology.

5. Staffing and financing of the Geotechnical Services.