The Minister of Development, Takis Theodorikakos at “SELPE’s Mornings”

The need for an immediate improvement of the consumer climate and the smooth functioning of the market, as well as the suppression of tax evasion and unfair competition were some of the essential issues that were put at the center of their constructive discussion.

“At the Ministry of Development we are in favor of healthy and sustainable entrepreneurship. It is the wheel of the Greek economy and that is why we support it with all our strength. We aim at a sustainable and balanced development for citizens in every corner of Greece, for every business, for every professional. All together – State, market and society – we will achieve it. I listened carefully to the interesting opinions and suggestions of the people of SELPE for the orderly operation of the market. We will always be in open dialogue and close cooperation” said the Minister of Development, Mr. Takis Theodorikakos.

The Minister of Development, Mr. Takis Theodorikakos with the President of SELPE, Mr. Costas Gerardos

“We had the pleasure of welcoming the Minister of Development, Mr. Takis Theodorikakos, to the “SELPE Breakfasts”. This meeting was not just about recording problems, but formulating concrete solutions to the issues that concern Retail businesses. We pointed out the difficulties but also the opportunities in our industry, which employs hundreds of thousands of workers and contributes significantly to the country’s GDP.
We focused on four points:

1. How will we work together to create a more positive consumer climate and to move the economy more dynamically
2. How we will collectively invest in Retail workers with wage incentives and training (upskilling and rescission)
3. ⁠How will we smooth out some intrusive policies that prevent the proper functioning of businesses and finally,
4. How will we manage the “spiking” of some key corporate cost centres, such as energy, transport and rent, which threaten the viability of many retail businesses.

The Minister has shown an excellent willingness to cooperate and we will remain in touch to promote the issues we discussed. We thank him very much” stated the President of SELPE, Mr. Costas Gerardos.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to close cooperation between the Ministry and SELPE, with the aim of creating a healthy business environment for all.

The “SELPE Breakfasts” are an initiative of the Association that includes a series of scheduled meetings of its members with institutional bodies. The aim is to promote discussions and to have an exchange of views around the issues that concern businesses and especially the retail trade.

Snapshot from the discussion