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Expectations from the new government: the manufacturing sector should be
the new government’s focus
The significant majority by which Greece’s new government was brought to
power in the elections on 4 October allows it to make the necessary
sweeping changes and reforms to the economy and how the State operates
and also to resolve protracted problems faced by businesses in order to
lead the country out of the economic crisis.
Greece’s business community, especially the businesses in the Greek
regions, have high expectations related to the policy the new government
will implement; likewise the problems faced by businesses are both
significant and serious and have been added to by the impacts of the
economic crisis.
Against this background, the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece
considers that the new government's development policy during the years
to come should focus on the following three pillars:
1. decisiveness in making decisions and implementing measures,
irrespective of the political cost entailed, in order to serve the
interests of all citizens of Greece, and to create real, long-term
prospects for development;
2. adoption of clear-cut, measurable economic development objectives
which will place emphasis on regional development and on improving
regional and intra-regional inequalities and disparities; and
3. publication of realistic timeframes for implementing scheduled plans
and for resolving long-term problems faced by the economy and Greece's
business community.
Above all, however, the Federation requests that manufacturing be
restored to a central position in development policy, since bolstering
the competitiveness of manufacturing industries has been ignored by
governments over the last decade, if not longer.
In this context, the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece has
published a series of proposals on the following matters: taking
businesses out of the economic crisis, bolstering the manufacturing
industry, regional development and improving the competitiveness of the
Greek economy. The Federation has presented these proposals to Greece's
Prime Minister, G. A. Papandreou, and has requested that they be
included in the new Government Agenda.
At the same time, in order to publicise these critical issues and to
highlight industry as a main element in Greece’s development, the
Federation has organised a series of working meetings on this matter
running from October to December 2009 entitled ‘Industry 2020:
Federation of Industries of Northern Greece – Eurobank EFG: Regional
Development – Innovation – Outward Looking Approach’. The Federation has
collaborated with Eurobank EFG in organising these working meetings and
the Bank is the sponsor of all these events.
This Federation initiative has three objectives:
1. to highlight the importance and role of manufacturing in Greece's
development overall and in regional development.
2. to make proposals for a NEW industrial policy; and
3. to reach agreement on a specific strategic agenda to restructure the
manufacturing industry by 2020.
In order to effectively record the views of the Federation’s members, a
special website (
www.industry2020.gr ) has been developed. Anyone interested can
present their views on the progress of industry up to 2020 and on new
industrial policy. Information is also available about the development
of the working meetings and their results.
I urge you to visit the website and present your own views, thereby
making a contribution to the proposals which will be presented on the
future of manufacturing up to 2020.
Previous President's Messages
Industry should be among the Government’s
policy priorities
Industry centre stage again
Proposals for avoiding the financial crisis
Bold decision-making for avoiding the financial
crisis
Prospects for growth in Northern Greece in an
environment of international crisis
Investment Law and Northern Greece
The market of izmir: the next goal for outward-looking enterprises of
northern greece
The
new government’s aspirations for thessaloniki and northern greece:
fing’s proposals for development
Thessaloniki and Northern Greece in International Markets
Regional
development policy as an engine for local industrial development
Global
orientation, productivity and realistic management of the National
Strategic Development Plan (NSDP). The challenges for 2007
Investment Law and Northern Greece
The new
legislative framework for research and technology in Greece: a
government nod of approval for the proposals made by the Federation of
Industries of Northern Greece (FING)
Thessaloniki has the potential to become the second pole of development
for Greece and the headquarters for development organizations nationwide
Changing
attitudes to combat unemployment – Proposals for creating closer links
between education and production
Support
for the Regions: From now on, policy actions and not just policy
announcements
The
business community – a force for social cohesion in Northern Greece
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