The reduction of energy cost in industry and manufacturing, as well as customs issues focusing on the Issuance of the Approved Economic Operator License were discussed at the meeting of the Administrative Council of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Director General of Customs and Indirect Taxation, Mr. Dimitris Bourikos, was present at the Administrative Council, who referred to all the latest developments concerning customs issues.
During the meeting, the President of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Vasilis Korkidis, focused on the energy cost that significantly burdens industry, manufacturing, as well as many small and medium energy-intensive businesses, pointing out that Greek companies pay from 12% to 22% more for electrical energy, compared to the EU-27 average. He added, in fact, that the blow is severe in the “real” heavy industry and manufacturing, with tourism and catering, two other important sectors for the economy, following to a lesser extent. Regarding the models being discussed for reducing the energy cost, the President of the Piraeus Chamber pointed out the necessity of adapting the Italian, or another model, in a time when the country needs a resilient productive development model aimed at minimizing the competitiveness gap of domestic production. The PCCI, V. Korkidis noted, has taken a position and awaits with particular interest the proposals that will be announced by the Government’s economic staff.
On the other hand, and prompted by the presence at the Administrative Council of the Director General of Customs & Indirect Taxation, the President of the PCCI brought up again, in their entirety, the issues of bureaucratic and other procedures related to Customs, both in import and export trade, noting the necessity of a new holistic intervention, so that there is an overall improvement of the system that indirectly, yet clearly, reflects on the competitiveness, mainly, of exporting businesses. Also, the President of the PCCI reminded that the Chamber’s presidency, in the recent meeting with the Governor of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (IAPR), Mr. George Pitsilis, discussed the problems faced by its member-companies, as, due to the checks, significant delays have been recorded in the import and export processes with containers, given that the existing personnel of the customs services are insufficient and, in fact, at a time when the Customs services at the port of Piraeus were consolidated. Against the backdrop of the recent OLAF revelations about the incidents in Piraeus, V. Korkidis was categorical: “The adherence to legality and the rules that protect healthy trade is non-negotiable in any case.” In fact, he stressed that the Greek Authorities at the port of Piraeus, one of the main gateways for Asian products into Europe, should intensify control measures, in order to protect healthy entrepreneurship, the legality of imports and exports, the consistency of maritime transport, but also every private individual responsible for a company, as well as every public servant from customs fraud, which ultimately costs very dearly. The PCCI, he characteristically repeated, will support the effort of the IAPR.
for full digitization, absolute transparency and greater speed in customs procedures to note that from now on the unified Piraeus Customs must have the appropriate in strength human resources to “run” the required checks in a large port.
The President of E.B.E.P., Vasilis Korkidis, closing his remarks on Customs issues, characterized the Issuance of the Authorized Economic Operator License as a “passport of recognition, a symbol of international trade and a seal of reliability for extroverted businesses”. In fact, he stressed that the need to secure transactions governed by customs legislation, both within the EU and with third countries, as well as the necessity to comply with specific protection and security rules, leads us to the institution of the authorized economic operator. This, he said, is a FastTrack certification and it is particularly important for Greek import and export companies participating in the supply chain to utilize it.
