New SEV head heralds production shift
The Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) is shifting its focus to industry in a bid to serve as a reference point for a new and necessary production model, said the influential association’s new president, Dimitris Papalexopoulos.
In his first speech at the helm of SEV on Monday, Papalexopoulos said that the association’s primary goal going forward is to increase the contribution of industry to Greek gross domestic product from 10% to 15% within the next 10 years.
Addressing the online general meeting, SEV’s new chief said that the coronavirus crisis “should not shift our attention away from our strategic targets, nor be an alibi for avoiding the necessary reforms.”
Papalexopoulos added that beyond providing support for the more vulnerable members of society, economic relief measures must also prioritize jobs and industry so as to safeguard the country’s healthy but vulnerable productive fabric.
The Titan Cement manager presented proposals on how the government ought to distribute the European resources by bolstering investment in crucial infrastructures and private productive investments, while acknowledging that the government initiatives have been in the right direction. He went on to praise the spirit of cooperation and efficiency exhibited by Greek society during the pandemic, describing it as a “model of debate and discourse, both in politics and in society, that gives hope.”
Papalexopoulos also illustrated the new production model needed by the country in six points: Accelerating delayed reforms, mainly concerning the lifting of obstacles to enterprises; forming a comprehensive industrial policy aligned to that of the European Union; securing competitive energy costs; providing systematic support for industries with a capacity for innovation; channeling sufficient resources to investments in the right infrastructures, mainly digital, energy, circular economy and logistics; and the pursuit of vital goals such as the digital revolution, improving necessary work skills and sustainable development.
The new chief of the SEV association went on to cite the multiple benefits of manufacturing, such as its contribution in the GDP and employment, and its export potential.
