Greek business ‘needs all possible support’ amid market uncertainty, stresses President of the Central Union of Hellenic Chambers Ioannis Masoutis in a memorandum sent by KEE to political leaders before him 86th TEF.

“Here are a few months, especially after it began war in Ukraine, we are living through the conditions of a “perfect storm” in the global economy, when countries and societies across Europe are facing the consequences of a multi-level crisis,” emphasizes KEE, referring to the international situation. As emphasized, despite the positive signals for the Greek economy, uncertainties matter, and the situation in society and the market remains difficult due to revaluations.

“Greek businesses are called upon, on the one hand, to deal with pressing issues related to the current situation, such as unsustainable electricity costs, an increase in their operating costs and a decrease in market turnover, and at the same time try to cover the accumulated losses and liabilities. during a pandemic,” the Union notes.

At the same time, as stated in the memorandum, “they need to plan for tomorrow: adapt to an environment in which digital transformation, innovation, new technologies and the transition to green operating models and extroversion act as prerequisites not only for development, but and for their very survival.

In these efforts, emphasizes KEE, they need all kinds of support. According to the Union, “So far, government intervention has created an important safety net for SMEs against price gouging.” However, as he notes, “they are not enough to absorb all the consequences of the global crisis.”

The Central Union of the Hellenic Chambers is calling for immediate support measures.

Among other things, the Union offers:

– Return to fiscal balance and reduce public debt to restore investment grade in 2023.

– Immediate use of funds from the Recovery Fund and the NSFR, especially in terms of concessional business financing.

– Simplification and acceleration of program procedures. From application to application to funding. Priority should be given to absolutely necessary steps, unnecessary bureaucratic procedures should be limited.

– Simplify and reduce the content of ads. When we have a 50+ page ad with hard-to-understand technocratic terms, it’s almost impossible for a business to handle it. Especially, in fact, for small and medium-sized enterprises, the vast majority of which do not have personnel specialized in these matters.

– Further reduction of the tax and insurance burden on businesses, as well as on individuals, within the framework of the country’s fiscal capacity. Speeding up VAT refunds.