Insider / ΚΥΠΕ
The Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry supported the solution of the short-term problems faced by the industrial areas and industrial zones, such as the burning issue of rents and the recovery of government units, until the relevant study is completed, which will suggest solutions for all issues. , Natasa Pileidou, with the Parliamentary Committee on Trade giving a three-month deadline in order for there to be developments in the matter.
In the Parliamentary Committee on Trade, which discussed the need for a unified policy on the management of industrial areas and zones, complaints were heard that the Land Registry Department sends multiple retroactive charges to companies, on the basis of rent revisions.
As mentioned at the meeting, in the context of industrial policy 2030, a study has been announced, which will map all issues related to industrial policy, such as the need for expansion or creation of new industrial zones and areas and all general issues. The study that will take into account all stakeholders is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“In the meantime we must look at the issue of rents, the issue of recovery and re-announcement of plots that have a problem,” said Ms. Pileidou, speaking before the Commission, explaining there are issues that will be resolved based on the recommendations of the study. He added that the industry's contribution to GDP is 8%.
The chairman of the committee, Kyriakos Hatzigiannis stressed that we can not wait a year (for the completion of the study) and we must move at a faster pace.
He gave three months until the convening of a new session on the subject.
“All industries and crafts are losing opportunities, although there is no management framework for industries and craft areas and zones. We have all been diagnosed that the situation is unbearably dysfunctional and no one is coming out of it “, said Mr. Hatzigiannis in his statements.
As mentioned in the Commission, the responsibility for industrial policy lies with both the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Interior, while in some matters there is also responsibility to the Municipalities.
Speaking before the committee, Ms. Peleidou said that the Ministry has no objection to undertaking the policy of industrial areas and to rationalize the policy, but pointed out that the Ministry can not undertake the collection of rents from the use of state plots, a competence of the Land Registry. As he said, if this is done, there will be an impact on the speed with which applications will be examined or policies will be set.
The General Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Konstantinos Konstantinou, explained that the industrial areas are structured developments made by the state, while the industrial zones were defined in the framework of urban plans for specific developments and there may be state land or private land.
He advocated the inclusion of industrial policy issues in the Ministry of Commerce.
According to him, among other things, in the context of the study that has been announced, the existing infrastructure will be evaluated, the existing financing policy will be evaluated and new needs will be identified.
He referred to the distortion that exists in the determination of rents of state plots, saying that in 2010 the yield of plots was 5-7% while in 2012 by decision of the Council of Ministers the margin was frozen at 3%, while then reduced to 2.5%. He added that in mountainous areas the yield was limited to 1%.
He explained, however, that in industrial zones, where there are public and private plots, which are leased on free market terms, which also raises the issue of state aid.
Mr. Konstantinou also said that the issue of wage differentiation will be addressed by ending the lease of units in industrial zones and the concession of available units in industrial areas.
Moreover, answering a question, Mr. Konstantinou said that in the context of the preparation of the 2022 budget, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposals for the expansion of two existing industrial areas in Kiti and Xylotympos, but for procedural reasons the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected it because it considered it new policy.
He said that after consultation with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will submit a proposal to the Council of Ministers for approval and inclusion in the next budget.
AKEL MP Giannakis Gabriel complained that companies that rent state land and pay their rent regularly, without any notice, received additional charges of thousands from the Land Registry on the basis of the revision. As he said, a piece for which the rent was € 500 per year was revised to € 2,000, as a result of which the company suffered thousands of additional charges and court summonses were served.
Responding, the DG of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that there is no legal obligation of the Land Registry to send notifications for the change in the charges, but acknowledged that there is an issue in relation to this issue, which will be examined.
Speaking to the committee, DISY MP Nikos Sykas said that decisions must be made and we can not expect the study to be completed, while Onoufrios Koullas pointed out the risk of issues arising due to state aid.
AKEL MP Andreas Passiourtidis pointed out as very important the issue of expansion of the industrial zones of Kiti and Xylotympos, saying that 88 young craftsmen and professionals can be active and housed thus contributing to the local economy and local communities.
Besides, the MP of DIPA – Cooperation, Michalis Giakoumi expressed the position of the party that both the Industrial and Craft and areas could be exclusively under the control and management of Local Authorities, as is the position of the Union of Municipalities.
A representative of the CCCI stated that it would be ideal to have a unified management of the issue. He noted that after the new estimates were made in 2010, rents have skyrocketed, adding that despite the improvements, rents remain significantly higher.
He noted that industrial areas are an important tool for industry and that the right policy must be found.
A representative of OEB described the issue as very complex and added that as a matter of principle management should be unified. He referred to the industrial zones, where the way of calculating the rents is high and noted that the charging should be done on the basis and not on the basis of the market value.
POVEK General Secretary Stefanos Koursaris, for his part, said that it is not easy to adopt a single policy and added that craft areas should be considered as a separate part, because they have separate peculiarities.
