Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias referred to the importance of Greek tourism for the growth of trade and commerce, while addressing a Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE) event on Wednesday.

The wound from the 10-year economic crisis on household incomes in Greece is hard to heal, both because of the intensity and duration of the crisis, and because it was followed by two more: the pandemic and inflation.

Uncertainty in the market led to one in three retailers running promotions or discounts even over the festive period, but more than one in four businesses had higher sales this holiday season, compared with the same period in 2021, according to a study by the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE), which was released on Friday, regarding the activity of commercial stores

Faced with the necessary evil of taking action against the pandemic, the market is once again facing the reassurances from the government focusing mainly on a categorical "no" to the possibility of a lockdown.

The retail market is particularly unhappy with the third lockdown that begins Thursday in Attica, stressing that neither the full closure of the market since November nor the partial reopening of stores afterward proved efficient against the pandemic and the recession.

The government wishes to maintain the new reality of working from home, but to also ensure the protection of in-house staff in the economically vital production sector from the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis today told representatives of management and labour in a teleconference.

Just 7 percent of enterprises, mainly small and medium-sized ones, saw their turnover go up in this year's winter sales, which formally ended last Saturday. Nevertheless, most of them are still providing special offers in a bid to get rid of their winter merchandize.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said his government's first priority is to "end the unacceptable tax siege" of taxpayers and businesses.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis underlined the government's determination to lower the tax burden in Greece, telling a conference on the "The Future of Retail" organized by the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE) that his first priority will be to "end the unacceptable tax siege" on individuals and business especially.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sought the establishment of a new social contract between entrepreneurs, labour, and the state at a meeting today with Greece's largest business and labour organisations.