A memorandum with a series of proposals was handed over to the prime minister by the president of the BETH, Anastasios Kapnopolis
The imperative need to continue the strengthening measures as well as to take additional bold interventions until the problems created by the energy crisis are overcome, the president of of the Chamber of Commerce of Thessaloniki, Anastasios Kapnopolisduring today’s meeting of the productive bodies with the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, he writes voria.gr.
“The situation for many small and micro-enterprises is borderline as their endurance is almost exhausted. The problem of the exorbitant operating costs they face torpedoes the situation. This year’s winter is predicted to be difficult for both households and businesses, since the mix of energy products remains at high levels. In this climate, the situation for small and medium-sized enterprises is becoming more and more suffocating. The decrease in turnover in many cases of businesses, combined with the jump in operating costs and the accumulated obligations from the period of the ten-year crisis, as well as the pandemic, lead many businesses to a dead end” said the president of BETH, who handed over a memorandum with a series of proposals.
The memorandum
“The energy crisis and price spikes lead to the need to implement new measures to reduce prices in both energy and basic goods. It is necessary to reduce the Excise Tax on fuel and the VAT on specific products”, the memorandum states.
In addition, according to the BETH, it is required:
– bold settlement of debts with uniform terms for tax and insurance contributions.
-establishment of the unencumbered business account
-elimination of the pretense fee
– abolition of the solidarity levy
– reduction of non-salary labor costs
-further reduction of insurance contributions
– creation of a new program to cover fixed costs, with the aim of limiting the rapid increase in the energy expenditure of businesses.
-design of NSRF programs aimed at supporting small and medium-sized businesses with an emphasis on their digital transformation, after consultation with the relevant market bodies, so that through the simplification of procedures, as many businesses as possible can join
– access of small and medium enterprises to bank financing – financial tools adapted to the sizes and needs of the small and medium enterprises
– creation of microfinance products for SMEs, with simplified procedures
-speeding up the utilization of European resources through targeted and well-planned programs and further simplifying the procedures for their diffusion in the market
-reinforcement of small and very small manufacturing enterprises
-interconnection of the agricultural product with the secondary and tertiary sector
-investment support, by reducing the minimum investment amount, establishing high tax-free reserves
-reducing the cost of all forms of energy
– formulation of sectoral policies, to strengthen extroverted sectors
-incentives and tools to encourage investments in digital technologies, solutions and applications, which will allow the modernization of Greek manufacturing companies.
Special emphasis is given to BETH in supporting the extroversion and innovation of SMEs. Specifically, it requests:
-strengthening the extroverted branches, with the necessary investments in equipment and new technologies
– creation of an export specialization department in the economic departments of the universities, in order for young people to acquire the appropriate knowledge to strengthen the extroversion that is required for the turning of the page of the Greek economy
-creating programs adapted to the needs of artisans
-encouraging businesses that invest in innovation, with incentives such as lower taxation, facilitation in matters of licensing, transactions with the public, etc.
– creation of supporting and advisory structures in matters of standardization – certification, innovation, etc.
– widening the network of financing, for start-ups in all sectors and at all stages of development, by taking advantage of private and public financial tools
-closer cooperation between higher education and market players, for research funding
-strengthening training in sectors where there is a demand and at the same time a lack of staff
-substantial interconnection of education with production
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