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Statement
By the President
of the Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Mr. Georgios Kassimatis
The structure of the
network of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Greece has come through
various legislative stages in order to reach its current and final form.
All these previous stages were moving in the right direction, at the end
of which was the creation of a Chamber in the capital of each
prefecture, considered as the Public Law Legal Entities, with the goal
of protecting and promoting the commercial and industrial interests of
their region, where membership was mandatory for all merchants
practising an occupation (Laws 184/1914 & 1089/1980).
Today, the Chambers are
mandatory, self-contained and independent unions of natural and legal
persons which are active in commercial activities in a certain region,
they form Legal Persons of Public Law and they are under the
administrative supervision of the General Secretariat of Commerce at the
Ministry of Development as regards the legality of their actions within
the autonomy they are given. The Chambers have solidified a
long-standing relationship with the state, with local governments and
the other working bodies in the country with the goal of encouraging
economic development. It is within this scope that the Chambers continue
to serve as a key advisor to each successive government on matters of
commerce, industry and more generally on development policy. This
mission is determined as much by the current legislative framework as it
is by many decades of successful practice.
Law 2081/1992 followed
(after Law 1746/1988 which was not put in effect), putting in place the
foundations for new and more contemporary legislation through the
significant managerial and administrative independence that it provided
to the Chambers. As regulated by Law 3419/2005, today’s legislative
framework appertains to European standards and has given a new and more
contemporary spirit to the institution of the Chambers, something that
was necessary in order to continue in its institutionalized role and in
the fulfilment of its activities. This law establishes the General
Commercial Register, which will be followed by the Chambers, with the
Central Service at the Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (UHCCI).
It is a fact that in a
modern world, the presence of the Chambers in the economic organization
of a country is decisive. The example of developed and successful
countries shows that a well-organized and successful system of Chambers
is an important tool in the economic development of a region as well as
being a powerful comparative advantage in the successful course of a
country’s economy.
Today, the work handled
by the Chambers is comprised of a large number of activities that are
characterized as much by their acting in a consulting and advisory
capacity to the state and authorities as it is by the providing of
services to their members. The 880,000 businesses that are members of
the Chambers give our voice and viewpoint an immense power and
significance, but they also entrust us with the great responsibility of
representing them and promoting their demands in the solution of
problems that concern them.
The Hellenic Chambers
of Commerce are one of the main factors in the development of the
business spirit, as they act in favor of their member-businesses. In
this way, they have gained a new, decisive role in supporting them
within the marketplace and in the deepening of their relationships with
government organizations.
The recognition and respect of the work carried out by
the Chambers – on both a local and a national level – not only fills us
with satisfaction, but also instils optimism in us about the future of
the institution. It also makes us maximize the scope of our goals and
objectives so that we can cover every need, problem or demand for up to
the very last of our member-businesses.
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