He emphasized the need to draw up a realistic plan for balanced development throughout the Attica Region, “with transparency and respect for the last euro of the tax-paying citizen”, as he typically stated. the new regional governor, Nikos Hardalias, at yesterday’s first meeting of the EBEA Board of Directors for 2024.

Mr. Hardalias pointed out the emphasis that the new Regional Authority of Attica places on innovation, on strengthening fledgling entrepreneurship and on strengthening the extroversion of Greek start-ups. As he mentioned, the productivity of Attica – which gathers almost 51% of the country’s business activities – is a key to the recovery of the economic and development dimensions of our homeland. “Based on the OECD’s Cohesion policy report, Greece with an annual growth rate of 2% will return to pre-crisis levels in 15 years, while with a growth rate of the Attica Region of 3% per year, the recovery period is reduced to half,” he noted.

The strategic axes for the next 5 years

The regional governor presented the main axes of the strategy for the further strengthening of the businesses of Attica in the next five years, with the cutting edge of financial tools for supporting the real economy, Greek business and for the production of new knowledge.

“Our goal, in the next five years, is to emphasize – in cooperation and synergy with the central state – the developing and innovative start-up business ideas, in recording an investment road map, promoting a dynamic start, so that equal opportunities are given to all. Based on knowledge and innovation, young entrepreneurs can develop their potential, in order to strengthen competitiveness, resilience and extroversion”, Mr. Hardalias emphasized, adding that for the region, supporting innovative startups is a strategic choice businesses. “It is a critical means of responding to the twin challenges of our time, creating well-paying new jobs and stemming the dominant wave of immigration of our young people,” he pointed out.

He referred to the synergies being developed with EBEA, and to the three main pillars for the next five years – the creative economy, the “blue” economy with the strengthening of insularity and the sustainable economy of needs – underlining that more than 220 million euros from the new NSRF (2021-2027) are intended for actions related to digital transformation, the creation of new research infrastructures and research clusters, which will make Attica a “hyperlocal” hub, the circular economy, the modernization and recovery of businesses of Attica, emphasizing the need to draw up a realistic plan for balanced development throughout the region, “with transparency and respect for the last euro of the tax-paying citizen”, as he characteristically stated.

Mr. Hardalias also emphasized the cooperation of the Regional Fund of Attica with EBEA in terms of strengthening the action of the Athens Young Business Incubator, as well as the utilization of the new Development Law to attract new investments that will upgrade the development prospects of Attica .

It is noted that the deputy regional governor for Entrepreneurship and European Programming, Alexandra Pallis, also participated in the meeting.

To create a Municipal Taxes Observatory for the businesses of Attica

The president of EBEA, Sofia Kounenaki Efraimoglou, noted that Attica deserves to be at the forefront of the national effort for a dynamic and at the same time sustainable, resilient, coherent development. Through the new PEP of Attica and other European programs, as he said, there is the possibility of exploiting the multiple comparative advantages of Attica, as well as the management of challenges concerning the daily life of the citizen, safety, productivity and competitiveness of businesses. The opportunity also presents itself, she continued, to breathe new life into entrepreneurship and to attract quality investment in order to create a more inclusive development model, with an emphasis on addressing inequalities and exclusions. These goals, as he underlined, are common and their achievement requires coordination and joining forces.

“Our cooperation with the Region of Attica is long-standing and constructive,” said Mrs. Efraimoglou. “The point of reference in this partnership is the support and promotion of start-up entrepreneurship. The Region of Attica is a key supporter of the activity of the EBEA’s Young Enterprise Support Incubator. Building on this positive experience, we have the opportunity to expand our cooperation with the region, covering new areas. We can seek new partnerships, in matters such as training and upgrading the skills of human resources, strengthening the innovative capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises, facilitating the access of enterprises to financial programs, etc.

We also consider it important to support the region in a number of issues that directly concern the competitiveness and development of the businesses of Attica, such as the acceleration of actions for the digitization of the region’s services to businesses, the support for the effort to develop in Attica of modern business parks, the support of the central and local commercial markets of Attica”.

Our proposal, the president continued, is to create, with the assistance of the region, a Municipal Fees Observatory for the businesses of Attica: so that we can monitor the fluctuations of remunerative fees by region, identify discrepancies and formulate substantiated proposals.

“The term that begins will have a significant impact on the economic and social progress of Attica, on the quality of life of the citizens and on the development of local businesses. With the district under your leadership, I am confident that this footprint will be positive. We, for our part, remain reliable partners of the region, allies in the common goal of development and prosperity in Attica”, said Mrs. Efraimoglou, concluding her speech.