Page 20 - TRADE2012

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F
or Greek commerce, this is a critical time. It
will decide the viability of Small and
Medium-sized Enterprises, which –it has to
be reminded– are the main economic actors in the
private sector. And with good reason, taking into
account Greece's entrepreneurial tradition and the
peculiarities of Greece's socioeconomic structure.
In this sense, I believe that any growth proposal that
will be applied should focus on the Small and
Medium-sized Enterprise. More specifically, com-
mercial activity can, owing to its very nature,
become the nexus and multiplier that will connect
diverse sectors and utilize the strengths of the
Greek economy, such as shipping, agriculture and
tourism.
Greek commerce suffers from a total lack of invest-
ment and growth, while the business climate raises
obstacles for both Greek and foreign investors, who
are reluctant to come to Greece, given such an
unstable environment. The ESEE believes that
political understanding will lead to social consen-
sus, giving market people new hope that lost com-
mercial credit can be regained, and bringing an end
to the exclusion of the Greek market by foreign
lenders.
The issue of the country's new growth model is the
most important thing that we, the actors and repre-
sentatives of the economy, must discuss about, if
we wish to see some light at the end of the tunnel
that we entered two years ago. Obviously this dis-
cussion has not started properly, and all recent pro-
posals more or less represent wishful thinking that
ignores the realities of the Greek economy. We
must deal with this issue responsibly and seriously.
And above all, we must identify the special charac-
teristics of Greek entrepreneurship, in order to
understand what has to be utilized in the future.
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises can and must
play a leading role in this plan.
In brief, ESEE's proposals for the resumption of
Trade with Greece
18
Many sides have raised the issue of Greece's growth
prospects and how to find ways for enhancing them. A
series of proposals have been made from time to time, albeit
we see that their realization remains a theoretical exercise.
Given that the current crisis has created a sweltering cli-
mate in the Greek economy, it is necessary to escape from
the logic of fiscal discipline –which may be necessary, but it
definitely is not an end in itself– and look for ways of reviv-
ing economic activity with the aim of overcoming the crisis.
The proposals of Greek
commerce regarding
growth
By Vassilis Korkidis,
President of the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE)