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ATHENS, June 13 (Xinhua) -- As a businessman and the President of the National Confederation of Greek Commerce (ESEE), Vassilis Korkidis knows well the impact of the three-year debt crisis on Greek enterprises, in particular small and medium-size ones (SMEs), the backbone1 of the Greek economy.
Amidst a deep economic recession, the number of padlocks at the entrances of stores is on the rise, fuelling record high unemployment rates. The need for new incentives2 to break the vicious circle is more urgent than ever.
"The impact was very hard for us and certainly for the retail3 trade. We had a decrease of consumption in the past three years by 66 percent. So you can see the figures are very tough for us. The 77 billion euro (102.7 billion U.S. dollars) of private consumption of 2008 is now less than 48 billions at least for the figures regarding 2012," he told Xinhua during an interview at his Athens office.
Korkidis runs an electrical supply shop for ships at Piraeus port. It keeps going thanks to his export-oriented business mentality4 and Chinese investments to the port rather than help from the state.
Still the difficulties most SMEs in Greece faced are giving him a headache. Intense unemployment in combination with an average 40-percent decrease on incomes by rounds of austerity measures over the past three years have shrank consumption. Greece's once booming economy was based on consumption.
Today, liquidity5 and financing problems, over taxation6 and deficiency of much needed incentives makes it tough for several micro-entrepreneurs to cover their expenses. Closures are increasing, leaving more and more people jobless.
"For first time the number of people involved in Greek commerce - employees and employers - is less than 800,000. Nowadays there are 700,000 employers and employees in Greek trade. That means that 278,000 companies employ about half a million people. The closures of stores the past two years were about 68,000 and the unemployed7 were 175,000 from the commerce sector8," he said.
Commerce contributes to the overall employment in Greece by some 18 percent, and to Greek GDP by 16 percent, according to ESEE's estimates. SMEs hold an important role in Greek economy.
Korkidis and other owners of SMEs are trying to react to this freefall of commerce to the benefit of the overall economy.
"We are trying to keep our strength. I am joking sometimes that all these SMEs which remained in operation the last three years should have an ISO of endurance and survival. We are trying to see things optimistic, but to be honest every day we have more difficulties. What we are trying to do is to minimize our operation costs. Most Greek SMEs are family companies and each member of the family is trying to help the SME to stay alive," he explained.
Pharmacist Litsa Papakostas stays afloat thanks to her family's helping9 hand, as she struggles to make ends meet each month under the shortage of cash and credit line.
"I have spent all my savings10 by now. My husband's as well... This month I borrowed money from my mother, from my parents' savings. The problem is that even if we wanted to get a bank loan, we wouldn't get it. Banks no longer finance enterprises, in particular shaky businesses, such as pharmacies," she told Xinhua.
For the first time in 13 years of running her pharmacy11 at a central Athens district, she faces padlock fears. As her austerity-hit patients are requesting to get their medication on account and EOPYY, Greece's main public healthcare provider, owes pharmacists thousands of euros, multinational12 drug manufacturing companies at the same time are demanding in advance payments.
As a result, Litsa struggles to order the necessary quantities of medicines in order to cover her customers' needs. She struggles to repay her mortgage and cover the basic needs of her two teenage sons by working hard throughout the day.
Under the current conditions, she sees no prospect13 of hiring employees or seizing the opportunities emerging amidst the crisis, as rents are decreasing.
Moving her small pharmacy to a central avenue requires working capital. She does not have it and today Greek banks decline eight out of ten applications for loans.
For the remaining two, Greek lenders request up to 12.5 percent interest rates, far higher than the average rates of the euro zone, plus higher collateral14.
Papakostas does not expect much from the government and international lenders who keep Greece afloat since 2010 with multi-billion bailout aid in return of tough austerity and reform measures.
"I don't know what could be done. But this tactic15 of slashing16 salaries, dismissing employees, doesn't work. Instead of sitting down and thinking about something to do to bring growth to this country from within, they expect that growth will come from abroad. It will not happen. I know that what I have achieved in life, I achieved it through my work," she said.
Korkidis has several ideas he has presented to Greek government officials and foreign creditors17 for the support of SMEs, employment and growth in Greece.
ESEE has proposed the creation of an SME Development Bank to resolve liquidity problems in the real economy.
Despite initiatives undertaken so far to address issues, the lack of a single entity18 for the financial support of SMEs and the existence of many institutions instead, creates a complex environment of conflicting actors and programs, Korkidis explained.
As a result, European Investment Bank and European Union structural19 funds are not released at adequate rates to the market to give a push to Greece's economy.
He believes that an SME Development Bank would have a positive effect, as well as the creation of open street malls, clusters so that SMEs would cooperate to buy and sell at lower prices and the transformation20 of micro importing companies into micro exporting companies.
For Korkidis, international trade and the upgraded role of Piraeus port as a transit21 hub for the Mediterranean22 Sea and Eastern Europe after Chinese Cosco's major investment at the area represent the best opportunities amidst the crisis.
Coming from a sector strongly connected to the sea, the shipping23 industry and international commerce, he believes development will come from the sea, creating much needed jobs and turnover24.
"I live from the sea and I believe in the sea," he said.
Papakostas is less optimistic, when thinking about her future and her children's future. "I am trying not to be pessimistic. Certainly it is not that easy. I hope for the better. Of course, always on the back of my mind is the possibility that my children will go abroad."
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1
backbone
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| n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气 | |
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2
incentives
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| 激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机 | |
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3
retail
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| v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格 | |
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4
mentality
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| n.心理，思想，脑力 | |
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5
liquidity
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| n.流动性，偿债能力，流动资产 | |
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6
taxation
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| n.征税，税收，税金 | |
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7
unemployed
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| adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的 | |
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8
sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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9
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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10
savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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11
pharmacy
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| n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品 | |
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12
multinational
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| adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司 | |
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13
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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14
collateral
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| adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品 | |
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15
tactic
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| n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的 | |
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16
slashing
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| adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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17
creditors
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| n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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18
entity
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| n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物 | |
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19
structural
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| adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的 | |
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20
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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21
transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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22
Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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23
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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24
turnover
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| n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量 | |
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