The Athens Chamber of Commerce, in the framework of its actions to support its members and small and medium-sized businesses, organized on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, a hybrid event – with physical and online presence – for the course of the economy and business.
The keynote speakers were the Minister of Development & Investment, Adonis Georgiadis, the SYRIZA MP, Alexis Haritsis and the MP and head of the KINAL Central Committee, Michalis Katrinis, who, in addition to their statements, answered questions from Chambers and by members of the Board and the Board of EEC.
The President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce, Giannis Chatzitheodosiou, referring to the important initiative of EEC with the organization of this informal debate, stressed in his introductory position: “Our idea for this hybrid event was born from the need to have a wide discussion about very serious issues that concern the whole of Greek society and of course the business community. “This period of instability is brewing. We therefore considered that we should give the floor to the minister who is directly related to business and the market, Mr. Georgiadis, but also to the representatives of the other two major parties.”
The Minister of Development Mr. Georgiadis, responding to the request of Mr. Hatzitheodosios for further support of households and businesses by taking emergency measures, opposed the horizontal reduction of the NPV in fuel, focusing on the imprint that this measure will have on the state budget. stressing that “we will not put Greece in the spotlight again”. He acknowledged, however, that high inflation has made consumers reluctant. Referring to the problem of lack of liquidity and the exclusion of small and medium-sized enterprises from bank lending, Mr. Georgiadis stressed that only 40,000 companies meet the criteria to receive loans, while regarding the request of the E.E.A. and small and medium to increase the installments of pandemic debts from 72 to 120, clarified that it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance.
SYRIZA MP Mr. Haritsis noted that the real situation in the market is far from what the government presents, said that the new crisis threatens with violent impoverishment of a large part of society, argued that companies in the field of energy have won and reported in the SYRIZA proposals for the reduction of the private debt as well as for additional measures that are required in order to support the companies. Regarding bank lending, he referred to the lack of microfinance that could support the market and spoke of the risk that tens of thousands of companies face the risk of being violently “killed” because of the situation that has developed.
The MP and head of the KINAL Central Committee Mr. Katrinis stressed that the structural problems of the economy are getting worse, argued that the measures proposed by PASOK-KINAL are gradually being implemented by the government, reminded his party’s positions on the implementation of 120 installments and the “haircut” of 30% of private debt while emphasizing that in the near future private debt will be a noose around businesses and that the measures taken by the government to address the problem have failed.
The topics discussed and the issues raised by the representatives of the professional sectors were, among others, the cost of energy, VAT on food, VAT and VAT on fuel, recovery of the resources of the Recovery Fund, bank lending, regulation of debts, non-repayment of repayable advances, the role and future of small businesses, etc.
During the event, the President of GSEVEE and member of the Administrative Committee of EEA, George Kavvathas, the President of ESEE, George Karanikas, the President of the Association of Small and Medium Supermarkets, Giannis Pilidis, President of the Association of Petrol Dealers of the Prefecture of Attica, Maria Zagka, the President of the Professional Chamber of Thessaloniki, Michalis Zorpidis, the President of the Chamber of Xanthi, Stelios Moraitis, from the area of brokers Dimitris Biniaris, the President of the Federation of EEA, Giannis Vafeiadakis, the Vice President of EEA, Nikos Kogioumtsis, the Secretary of the Panhellenic Association of Foreign Language Centers and Head of GEMI and Business Service of EEA, George Zikopoulos, the President of the Panhellenic Association of Gyms, Doros Kleovoulou, the member of the Board. of EEA, Anastasios Kafkaletos, the Financial Supervisor of EEA, Panagiotis Pantelis, and the President of the Association of Information Technology & Communications of Greece, Giota Paparidou.
Journalist Iordanis Hasapopoulos presented the event and moderated the discussion.
Source: Capital
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