With a particularly brilliant event at the Benaki Museum, under the auspices of H.E. the President of the Republic, Mr. Konstantinos A. Tasoulas, the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE) celebrated 20 years since the establishment of Greek Commerce Day.
The evening, which brought together top government institutional representatives, executives from the business and banking sectors, social partners and more than 100 merchants from all over Greece, highlighted the decisive role of commerce in the economy and society, as well as the importance of the unity of the sector.
The keynote speeches
On behalf of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Kostis Hatzidakis stressed that “the government supports small and medium-sized businesses, not with wishful thinking, but with substantive policies”. He referred to tax and contribution reductions, improved liquidity and presented data showing an increase in small and medium-sized businesses by 35,500 and employment by 253,000 in the last five years. At the same time, he described Greece as a “strategic hub of regional and international scope”, thanks to its geographical location.
For his part, the President of ESEE Stavros Kafounis underlined that “trade is the pulse of the Greek economy”, highlighting the struggle of the merchant “who survives every day in conditions of quicksand”. He made special reference to the Confederation’s proposals for tax and insurance relief, as well as initiatives such as Shopping in Greece and international collaborations with e-commerce platforms.
The new identity of ESEE
The event presented the new corporate identity of the Confederation, with a renewed logo and digital website. “With our new identity, we maintain our values and chart a course in the new era,” said Mr. Kafounis, noting that the goal is to make ESEE “a collective, documented and dynamic institutional representative of all traders.”
Voices from the region
The interventions of traders from various regions of the country, who conveyed the specific problems and prospects of each local market, were of particular interest. Among them: Kyriaki Konstantinidou (Kalamata), Apostolos Ontopoulos (Volos), Evi Apostolaki (Agia Pelagia) and Giorgos Eglezos (Kalamata).
The event closed with the symbolic meeting of the Council of Presidents of ESEE, in the presence of former presidents, underlining the continuity and unity of the sector.
