Business federation: Eliminate 230 obstacles impeding entrepreneurship

The Federation of Hellenic Enterprises (SEV) on Wednesday unveiled a detailed report listing, one by one, of what it cited as 230 bureaucratic obstacles and added costs blocking entrepreneurship in the debt- and deficit-plagued country.

The report was presented to Development and Competitiveness Minister Mihalis Chryssohoidis by SEV President Dimitris Daskalopoulos.

Amongst the high-profile proposals are work on Saturday with supplementary time off, along with a proposal for overtime work offset by an overall reduction of working time.

As regards labour relations, SEV suggests the reduction by half (from 8 to 4 pct) of the percentage of mandatory hirings concerning special categories of employees (the handicapped, heads of large families etc), revision of the so-called “hazardous and heavy” professions list and a reduction of social insurance contributions.

SEV also reiterates its standing criticism of excessive bureaucracy, citing scores of state interventions in the economy. It suggests, among others, abolition of fees and tax stamps, including the mandatory registration of businesses to relevant chambers, and the publication of business balance sheets in newspapers. Moreover, it calls for the abolition of the advertisement tax in favor of media pension funds (aggeliosimo) and the ERT levy (public radio and television) collected through a surcharge on power bills. In addition, all surcharges in favor of third parties included in prescription medicine prices, tuition fees, shipping fares, fuel prices, theatre tickets, olive oil prices and candles (in support of the clerics’ fund) – to name a few – should be abolished, SEV states.

The employers’ and industrialists’ federation also recommends the abolition of minimum fees for lawyers, notaries and civil engineers and reassessment of mass transport and taxi fares.

Other proposals include the liberalisation of prices in a number of sectors, such as farm products, medicines and energy. Moreover, SEV requests deregulation of transports, bread production (bake off) and the operation of pharmacies, along with a reduction of mobile phone fees and imposition of VAT on the Hellenic Post (EL.TA).

SEV regards as the sources of the obstacles to entrepreneurship the overlapping authorities of government ministries and agencies, the lack of cooperation between responsible ministries, the intervention of chambers and professional associations – mainly for fee collection purposes – market operation ignorance, absence of spatial planning, over-legislation and state intervention mentality.