Published by EETH for the “Greece 2.0 Program
The event aimed to highlight the support that Thessaloniki will receive, but also the professionals from the Recovery Plan.
Event with Title “The Greece 2.0 Program – Thessaloniki and Central Macedonia” organized it Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and more specifically, the Public Relations Committee.
The event took place at the events of EETH, with the aim of highlighting the support that Thessaloniki will receive, the entire region of central Macedonia, but also professionals, through the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan.
Speakers were the Minister of Development and Investment Mr. Adonis Georgiadis, the Deputy Minister of Digital Governance Mr. George Georgantas, the Head of Development and Investment of SYRIZA-PS Mr. Alexis Haritsis and the Head of Environment A. George Arvanitidis.
Greetings were addressed by the President of EETH Mr. Michalis Zorpidis, the Deputy Minister of Interior (Macedonia – Thrace) Mr. Stavros Kalafatis, the President of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Crafts Mr. Anastasios Kapolis, the President of the Chamber of Pella Mr. Iordanos and Mr. Iordanis of the Public Relations Committee of EETH Mr. Roulis Ediaroglou.
During his greeting, Mr. Zorpidis stressed the importance of the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan for professionals and small and medium-sized enterprises and the need for as much support as possible through the Greece 2.0 program.
Mr. Kalafatis referred to the growth of the DG quarter of 2021, which exceeds even the most optimistic forecasts, compared to the corresponding quarter of 2020.
In the five main requests of the chambers, namely, in the write-off of part of the debts in proportion to the reduction of the turnover, the postponement of repayments at least until the summer of 2022, the reduction of VAT on basic necessities to 6% and tax relief, the abolition of Excise Tax. on various items such as coffee and the reduction of tax burdens on energy, Mr. Ediaroglou focused on his part.
Opening the circle of speakers, the Minister of Development and Investment, Adonis Georgiadis, underlined “the expectation, hope and planning of the government is Greece with the combined use of the giant and unprecedented tools of the Recovery Fund and the NSRF, to change and certainly the Central and Thessaloniki, have a dominant and pivotal role in this design. ยป.
Mr. Georgiadis made a very optimistic forecast for the festive turnover of the stores, stating that it was very high, but Mr. Zorpidis disputed it.
In an effort to allay concerns among professionals that support measures have stopped while the pandemic continues to plague the country, the minister explained, “as we have been with you throughout the pandemic and left no one alone. of him, so we will be in the future “.
In the interventions of the Ministry of Digital Governance in order to create that framework in which the business activity but also our life as a whole to obtain the necessary support for the use of new technologies, the competent Deputy Minister Mr. George Georgantas referred, adding, “at this time we try to provide quality services to both citizens and professionals “.
A different picture from the one presented by Mr. Georgiadis was given during his speech by Mr. Alexis Haritsis, who among other things stated, “the situation in the real economy, in the small, medium enterprise, in the self-employed, in the trader, is very hard”. Mr. Haritsis underlined that according to GSVEE data, “one in four companies has zero cash”.
Mr. George Arvanitidis described the Fund for Recovery and Resilience as a great opportunity to achieve sustainable development in the country, who pointed out, “we are looking for Greece 2.0 to achieve sustainable development in terms of resilience for the city of Thessaloniki and the wider its region. “This requires projects and infrastructure that will make Thessaloniki resilient tomorrow.”
However, the news at the EETH event came with the assurance that, despite the gossip that had been created recently and the previous concern in the ranks of the city’s institutions, the existing Special Interreg Program Management Service is not leaving Thessaloniki.
More specifically, he made a statement on this issue in order for Mr. Stavros Kalafatis to clarify, “I can assure you that nowhere in the draft, which has been submitted, is it mentioned that the Special Service is leaving Thessaloniki”, said the Deputy Minister, in order to The Minister Mr. Adonis Georgiadis also confirmed it, who underlined his intervention: “Interreg does not leave Thessaloniki, it will stay in Thessaloniki as it is”.
Mr. Kalafatis also responded to the rumors about the abolition of the Private Investment Directorate of the Macedonia and Thrace Sector of the Ministry of Interior, emphasizing that “it is better to avoid gossip and speak with deeds and projects, explaining that the Private Investment Directorate not only but was strengthened with an additional project by 40%, having the management of investment projects from 1 to 3 million euros.