For the strategythe philosophy and goals of the new development law were spoken by the Minister of Development, Takis Theodorikakosin the “Sunday Free Press”.
Specifically, Mr. Theodorikakos pointed out that “with the new strategy for development we are helping to tackle demographic, national security and reduction of inequalities”, stressing that “productive reconstruction is an absolute necessity for Greek society and especially young people.”
The 11 priorities of the Ministry of Development:
- New productive model based on the value of the work
- Productive transformation by reinforcing industry
- Enhance healthy entrepreneurship and competition
- Treatment of regional and social inequalities
- New jobs with better wages
- Productivity, competitiveness, extroversion, innovation
- Slide for everyone and everything
- Report and accountability for all investments
- Development means security for Greece
- Quality of life and reversal of demographic shrinkage
- Strict checks to protect the consumer
The entire text of the Minister of Development’s interview with the “Sunday Free Press” is as follows:
1. The new Development Law is expected to be submitted to Parliament. What is philosophy and targeting?
The new Development Law is a product of many discussions that essentially started in the fall when we, along with the Prime Minister, presented the Ministry of Development’s strategy for a new productive model in the country and the productive transformation of the Greek economy. This is not a brain creation, it is an absolute necessity for Greek society and especially young people. Unfortunately, despite the fiscal stability and successes of the Greek economy and the responsible policy we have pursued for the last six years in the fiscal field, our country remains a high deficit of the trade balance.
This must be urgent to be corrected and requires a more competitive economy, with many more exports, with a solid basis in industry and the utilization of the primary sector with manufacturing and innovation. We need many more young people who want to work in industry and innovation. In the matter of jobs we are in dialogue with society and the Association of Industrialists, who does not want the creation of jobs to be an incentive that the state will finance.
2. In what areas does the weight of investment fall and what are the expected benefits?
The burden with the new development law falls on the region, especially in border areas and in prefectures below the average of national income. Because I believe that dealing with demographics, national security and reducing inequalities go together. And we serve these necessities and policies that represent the ideas of our lineup, and therefore the ideas of Hellenism, with perseverance with the aim of having practical results.
I remind citizens that our interest in dealing with the acute demographic problem in the country is timeless and independent of the position of responsibility I serve. So the Minister of Development could not be interested in the drastic treatment of the demographic problem. For this reason, in the development law in the border areas we put weight on large investments of all kinds, with a strong criterion for job creation.
At the same time, we call a separate regime of social entrepreneurship and traditional forms of the economy in the fall, to enable ordinary citizens, without any particular business, to use traditional professional activities and to be strengthened by the state in order to remain in their place of origin. There will be the same provision for the small islands of the Aegean and the Ionian Sea, because we are determined to support the island and apparently the Greekness of our islands.
Development in the “difficult” counties of the Region is a national affair, not just for reasons of national security. But because this is the only way to reduce the uninterrupted immigration to Athens and the search for a permanent home in the capital, which creates suffocating problems and a constant rise in life costs and especially housing. We often hear that Greece needs a change of productive model.
3. What is this in your opinion and how can such a goal be achieved?
The goal of changing the production model has been focused on the Ministry of Development. But it is also set by important society agencies and representatives of the business community, such as the EBEA, the chambers as a whole. A comprehensive strategy is required and which we have described since the previous autumn and in what concerns us we follow it consistently.
However, productive transformation has other conditions. I focus on the ideological and moral elevation of the value of labor within society. Neither young people, nor any man can be worth the heavenly profit, easy profit and even worse the profit from corruption. The value of productive work that creates an individual, social and overall profit for the national economy.
There are serious efforts with employment programs, but I believe that the enemy of good is the best and the challenge we have ahead of us is to insist on a strategy of implementing a new productive model whose pillars are industry, innovation and new technologies, extroversion. The Greek economy has vital spaces throughout humanity literally. The country’s strategy in 2030 must be to tackle the demographic problem and the new productive model as a case that must unite the Greeks, the social forces and the political system.
4. What will be the role of research and innovation?
Innovation means increased productivity and competitiveness. We invest in research and connecting to the market, we boost start -up businesses. I remind you of tax exemptions and linked investment to startup businesses with Goldenvisa.
We are investing in the creativity and business demon of the Greek, in order to achieve extroversion and exports that will offer goodwill to our economy, always benefit to our society as a whole. Thousands of young children are active, the new generation of Greece has talent and creativity. Elevate Greece must be activated much more active and systematically to help support the innovative start -up businesses.
5. You have stated that your doctrine is “transparency everywhere, for everyone and for everything”. This means that we will expect sanctions on the 1,400 and over investments that have previously got money and stayed in the concrete? How do you move in these cases and what do you expect to recover from the money given?
Doctrine transparency everywhere for everyone and everything is a timeless value of life and must govern the course of every political person and every faction. Since I serve the very responsible duties of the Minister of Development, I have to do everything to prove the real respect for the money of Greek taxpayers. I was informed a month ago by the General Secretariat for Private Investment that more than 1,400 investments that have taken advances, based on the 2004 and 2011 development laws, did not complete their investment.
By law these companies should refund the money. All legal procedures are kept because it cannot be done otherwise and as soon as they are completed I will give a complete account of how the case has evolved, how much money was returned to state funds and what exactly has happened. It is my duty to complete it.
6. Has the government lost contact with society, as the opposition argues?
The opposite is true. We are in society and we are constantly receiving the messages of citizens. Immediately, not through research, firsthand. And precisely because this is the case, ND is the central political force in Greece. It has the support of the majority of citizens because it has been formulating and implemented political responsibility for the future of our country over time. And this is true today. We often see you in the Southern Athens Sector, your constituency, are they approaching elections?
We must constantly be in society, to experience problems and needs, to explain our policy. Personally, I am rejuvenated by this communication, which gives me strength. And the positive reason and criticism of our citizens give us oxygen. The elections, as you know, will take place at the end of four years.