The president of Thessaloniki’s professional chamber of commerce this week said a recent meeting between the area’s business leaders and chamber officials with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was “disappointing”.
Chamber president Michalis Zorpidis made the statement amid the annual gush of “photo-op” meetings that Greek prime ministers, Cabinet members and opposition leaders hold ahead of early September’s Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF).
The latter serves as the venue for an unofficial “state-of-the-economy” address by the Greek premier every year, although the trade exhibition’s importance vis-a-vis the national economy has waned in recent years.
On their part, members of the board of Thessaloniki’s small-to-medium-sized manufacturers chamber called for “deeds instead of promises”, in a memorandum handed to the government side.
“Unfortunately, our meeting with Mr. Tsipras was more of the same. Once again, we heard lofty words about tax reductions, but only after 2019; more promises about an improved economy, more smiles and soothing comments at a time when the market is sinking and SMEs are under pressure, not knowing if there will be a tomorrow,” Zorpidis said.
According to the specific chamber, members called on the government to finally establish a law allowing businesses to retain at least one bank account that is immune from seizures by the tax bureau and social security funds – something the government announced last year but has so far not implemented.
In its memorandum, Thessaloniki-area manufacturers called for “ideological barriers and pseudo political dilemmas to be overcome … The recession, higher taxes and social security contributions, the lack of liquidity, all create a new asphyxiating pressure on the market. This pressure may lead to a new wave of bankruptcies, with the result being the loss of thousands of jobs in the coming period,” the Thessaloniki chamber warned.
As expected, the manufacturers’ chamber called for reduced taxes with the implementation of a flat tax on profits not exceeding 20 percent, along with lower social security contributions that are funneled into a viable system, a freeze on past arrears to funds, lower VAT rates, steps to boost liquidity and the domestic business world’s standing demand for smaller Greek state in tandem with improved effectiveness by the remaining state.
