An information event with the participation of more than 500 customers was held online by Piraeus Bank, on the occasion of the start of the process of submitting investment plans for financing from the Recovery Fund.
The Deputy Minister of Finance Mr. Theodoros Skylakakis, the CEO of Piraeus Bank Mr. Christos Megalou and Bank executives, discussed with representatives of institutions the opportunities created by the Fund for Recovery and Resilience for Greek companies and asked questions. of the Bank from all sectors of the economy, representing companies of all sizes.
The Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Thodoros Skylakakis, thanking Piraeus Bank for the initiative of the event, said: the possibilities that open up, in the coming months, from the loans of the Recovery and Resilience Fund “Greece 2.0”, especially now that we are entering a period of some uncertainty regarding the future level of interest rates.
I believe that the companies learned a lot, both from the interesting discussions that took place during the event, and from the answers given by the participating speakers to the questions that were asked. The main message I want to get across is how easily and quickly companies can use this investment tool. I include here all the small and medium enterprises, which have today or can acquire creditworthiness in the next years “.
As the CEO of Piraeus Bank Mr. Christos Megalou stressed: “We are in a situation that gives us a unique historical opportunity to create the foundations for Greece of tomorrow, as the country has a plan,” Greece 2.0 “, the resources for secured by the European Union, the banking system, having largely overcome the systemic problems of the past, is able to productively support the financing of the economy and the business world, having withstood the double test of the ten-year financial crisis and pandemic, not only has it proven that it can successfully meet the challenges, but it is also more powerful.
At Piraeus Bank we are committed to supporting healthy entrepreneurship by offering financing, guidance and know-how in every sustainable business plan. As in all the great challenges of the past years, Piraeus Bank declares itself “present” and will stand as a leading helper and substantial supporter in the effort of every business and every entrepreneur for a growth that supports every Tomorrow “.
In the section on “The next day of the Greek economy”, Mr. Theodoros Fessas, Chairman of the Board. Quest Holdings and BriQ Properties estimated that Greek companies are ready to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Recovery Fund as, after the investment deficit of the last ten years, they have the opportunity to proceed with equipment renewal, modernization of their infrastructure and operations. , utilizing the available resources.
In the same section, the General Manager of Piraeus Bank Mr. Thanos Vlachopoulos, Head of Large Corporate & Wholesale Products, noted that the Greek industry is ready to move on to the next day, utilizing the Recovery Fund financing in investments that will pave the way in the integration of the benefits of Industry 4.0. The strategic priorities of the program are largely in line with the criteria of the ESG (Environment, Social Cohesion and Governance) framework. Therefore, the companies that implement them have a significant advantage in the preparation of investment plans that will become eligible for funding from the Fund.
In a discussion on “Tourism in the post – Covid era”, Mr. Alexandros Vasilikos, President of the Hotel Chamber, noted that for Greek tourism, there are four main development pillars: technology, energy, upskilling – reskilling, accessibility. To meet the needs that exist, as well as to create synergies, you need bank financing and financial tools, such as the Recovery Fund.
As noted by Mr. Antonis Katraouras, General Manager of Piraeus Bank, Head of Commercial Banking, the Recovery Fund, in addition to providing funding for 50% of the entrepreneur’s investment plan, essentially directs the entire system to invest in sustainable development. With significant incentives, such as the very low final interest rate, fixed throughout the loan, the inclusion of the land market in the eligible costs, the purchase of a ready-made building with its upgrade and the possibility of providing medium-term working capital for 30% of the Business Plan to facilitate the start-up of the business, is an excellent financial tool.
The President of the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Giannis Bratakos, and the Senior General Manager, Chief Retail Banking of Piraeus Bank, Mr. Vassilis Koutentakis, discussed the opportunities created for small and medium enterprises.
According to Mr. Bratakos, the Recovery Fund provides a number of opportunities for Greek companies, with the most important transition to digital transformation and at the same time, opportunities for mergers and increase in size and competitiveness, as well as for enhancing extroversion and providing high value-added products and services, as well as the possibility of energy upgrades.
Mr. Koutentakis enumerated some of the most important advantages of the action of the Small Business Recovery Fund: the long duration of the Program (until 2026) which enables a company to join the program when it is ready, the large amount of total resources and the possibility of incurring the company for large amounts, the breadth of eligible costs and the possibility of financing a wide range of business activities, as well as the long duration of the loan, up to 12 years, with a low, fixed interest rate for the Recovery Fund the entire duration of the loan.
Piraeus Bank is ready to welcome the investment plans of companies wishing to join the Recovery Fund. The aim is for the approval of the financing of the investment projects to be given within 30 days, depending on the complexity of the investment, and at the same time, for the evaluation of the eligibility by the consultants so that from the submission of the application to the disbursement it takes a few weeks.
Piraeus Bank has held informative meetings with more than 1,000 companies throughout Greece and will intensify in the coming days, the information through meetings and in cooperation with public and commercial bodies, in order for the companies to understand the possibilities of utilizing the Recovery Fund so that each entrepreneur to choose which of the actions are appropriate.
Source: Capital
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