H
owever, its foolproof implementation
requires: (a) the drafting of zoning and
land use plans, as well as the simplifi-
cation of the institutional framework regarding all
necessary licenses; and (b) the unification of all
financing sources, as well as securing their com-
plementarity and synergy.
The necessity of each investment should be
judged, not on the basis of its size, but on the
basis of its sustainability, its contribution to
restarting the Greek economy and, of course, its
respect towards the environment. Investment
incentives should be given second priority and
linked to certain targets, such as boosting
employment and contributing to the local soci-
eties.
All development laws up to this date had a spe-
cific target: to facilitate investments by partisan
cronies, provided that they siphoned state and
community resources, giving second priority to
their sustainability. Everyone remembers the infa-
mous law 1262/1982, which filled Greece, espe-
cially Northern Greece, with factories. The empty
husks of these factories are still there to remind
us of the squandering and improper placement of
funds.
The administrative division of Greece into
Regions may provide the springboard for drafting
proposals concerning the development of the
service sector, as well as the primary and sec-
ondary sectors. The wealth of natural resources;
the biodiversity; the suitability of pedoclimatic
conditions in regard to the production of a wide
range of quality products with a strong export ori-
entation; the human resources; and the a culture,
Trade with Greece
18
No one can dispute that it is necessary to put
Greece on the path of growth, but this
requires far-reaching and scientific planning
that takes into account the country’s growth
potential and is supported by specific tools
and resources.
The agrifood complex
as a growth instrument
By Vangelis Apostolou,
Alternate Minister of Agricultural Development and Food
