Letter-appeal to the Prime Minister Prof. Giuseppe Conte
Letter-appeal to the Prime Minister Prof. Giuseppe Conte: the CCIE network requires enhanced access to the funds put in place for export
In the restarting phase of Italy, the Italian chamber system abroad is doing its part to assist companies and Italian manufacturers to relaunch Made in Italy in the world and to strengthen export agreements that are put in place by the Italian government.
Export accounts for almost a third of the value of GDP in Italy but the latest estimates foresee a 14% reduction in 2020. The vitality of the internationalization process is directly linked to the ability of Italian SMEs to maintain competitiveness abroad in the post-Covid scenario -19.
In this context, Assocamerestero underlines – in a letter sent to the President of the Council on behalf of all the CCIE – the need that in the economic measures under discussion in the Chamber of Deputies (Decree Law “Relaunch Italy”) there is concrete attention to the extraordinary contribution of the network of 81 CCIE that is operating in 58 countries and supporting almost 70 thousand exporting companies.
In first place among the CCIE services are business scouting services for positioning on the foreign market (35% of the services provided), followed by networking activities (25%) and the organization of trade missions of foreign buyers (20 %).
The activity on the CCIE market allows the reduced contribution of the State to be multiplied by more than five times, but the global crisis caused by Covid-19 risks undermining its efficiency, just when there is a need for full and greater operation.
Many initiatives were put in place during the health emergency. In addition to supporting – alongside the diplomatic network – the procurement of essential health material for the country, more than 300 information, training and assistance actions have been carried out for companies, largely with the use of the digital network. And at least another 350 are scheduled by July.
“We put the contribution of those abroad working with businesses every day at the service of Italy. We have firmly adhered to the Export Agreement, thanks to the 300 thousand business contacts developed each year and the over 20 thousand companies, Italian and foreign, associated with the network. The CCIE have always largely self-financed on the market, but the global crisis caused by Covid-19 has compromised numerous initiatives already planned, seriously jeopardizing the activity of the chamber system. At this stage, therefore, it is more urgent than ever to guarantee the effectiveness and full operation of the network, which is precious for businesses and for the country as a whole “- said Gian Domenico Auricchio, President of Assocamerestero.