For the interventions of SYRIZA-PS against the tax raid promoted by SW at the expense of freelancers and small businesses, Stefanos Kasselakis discussed with the presidencies of GSEVEE and the Athens Chamber of Commerce.

The assurance that the SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance he will exert all possible political pressure in order to achieve a fairer distribution of the huge resources of the Recovery Fund, from which the country’s small and medium-sized enterprises under the responsibility of the government are effectively excluded – a subject he discussed at length in his contacts in Brussels with EU officials – gave the President of the party, St. Kasselakis on Thursday, successively visiting her General Confederation of Professional Craft Merchants of Greece (GSEVEE) and Professional Chamber of Athens (EEA). At the same time, St. Kasselakis informed the representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed about the new, favorable regulation proposal, formulated by SYRIZA – PS, regarding their overdue loan obligations, which today lead them to the auctions of the funds that have purchased the loans and to the loss of property. The party’s interventions against the tax raid promoted by the ND government against freelancers, under the guise of tackling tax evasion, were also discussed.

In the meeting with the president of GSEVEE, G. Kavbathas, as well as with the members of the Confederation’s Board of Directors, the President of SYRIZA – PS was informed about the enormous size of their problems: small and medium-sized enterprises face an acute liquidity problem with simultaneous exclusion from the Bank System. As the President of GSEVEE said, G. Kavvathas, of the approximately 800,000 businesses, together with the self-employed, only 49.5 thousand can cross the threshold of the banks, a percentage of less than 5%. At the same time, the average increase in production and operating costs has reached 40%. Overdue liabilities to AADE increased by 10 billion euros in the last year, while the government regulation of 36 – 72 installments was not effective and overdue insurance liabilities increased by 660 million euros, in the last six months alone.

On the basis of this painful economic reality, the government negotiated the allocation of the Recovery Fund resources in such a way that small and micro-enterprises are excluded from the €12.5 billion earmarked for business lending, as it pointed out G. Kavvathas, who formulated GSEVEE’s request for a new 120-installment debt settlement, while drawing attention to the risk of losing their first home and business premises faced by small and medium-sized entrepreneurs from fund auctions, as those who manage to access borrowing, they usually put their house as collateral.

Stefanos Kasselakis described the government regulations for the imputed income of freelancers promoted by the government as “out of reality”, in the meeting he then had with the president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce, G. Hatzitheodosiou and members of its Board of Directors.

THE Stefanos Kasselakis he was faced with the great anxiety of the members of the EEA, both for the effects of the new tax bill of the government, as well as for the ongoing problem of exclusion from the resources of the Recovery Fund. This issue of lack of economic justice gave the President of SYRIZA – PS the opportunity to highlight the general problem of Justice in our country, which cannot be, as he said, in 27th place among the 27 EU countries, they are not allowed to delay for years its decisions and its awarding and that it is not objective, but also that immunity applies to parliamentarians and bankers. “Should we start talking about the “fish head” instead of punishing people who want to stand on their own two feet, honest professionals? Will we be able to know the debt arrangements of the members of the Parliament?”, pointed out Stefanos Kasselakis.

THE G. Hatzitheodosiou described the tax problem as huge, as 80% of EAA members are affected by it, especially 70% are self-employed. In fact, he pointed out that there are many young people who do business through the Internet and the tax regulations are crucial for their progress. The EEA president also raised the issue of exclusion from the Recovery Fund, as well as from the NSRF. Just 367 businesses, he said, share the 12.5 billion euros of the Recovery Fund, to add that small and medium enterprises are excluded from it. The size of the exclusion was highlighted by the figures he quoted to the President of SYRIZA – PS, according to which 99% of the country’s businesses are small and medium with 55% belonging to the self-employed, while of the rest, 95% employ up to ten employees.