Zes: Confindustria, a key strategy for Southern Italy development

A meeting was held at the Confindustria headquarters between Vito Grassi, Vice President of Confindustria and President of the Regional Representations and Territorial Cohesion Policies Council of Confindustria, Pasquale Lorusso, Deputy President of Confindustria for the Economy of the Sea, and Giuseppe Romano, Special Commissioner of the Campania and Calabria ZES, on the subject of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). During the meeting there was total agreement in confirming that ZES are a key strategy for combining production and logistics development in the South and boosting public and private investment, transforming the South into a European logistics platform at the centre of the Mediterranean. Precisely for these reasons, and in view of the positive results, Confindustria hopes that collaboration with the institutions aimed at sharing experiences and assessments on the opportunities and critical issues related to the operation of SEZs will be made permanent. We therefore call on the Minister for European Affairs, the South, Cohesion Policies and the PNRR, Raffaele Fitto, to pay the utmost attention to such an important tool for the development of the South, following up on the dialogue that has already begun.
“The ZES represent a potential development flywheel for the Mezzogiorno, but also an instrument that encourages public-private collaboration. It was precisely the joint work between the institutions, the Confindustria System, and the Extraordinary ZES Commissioners that favoured the consolidation of the regulatory framework, which now makes the ZES finally operational and able to support the establishment and development of companies in the South. For these reasons, Confindustria’s hope is to intensify the dialogue with Minister Fitto and continue to support and consolidate the role of SEZs, support them in networking among themselves and with stakeholders, and ultimately contribute actively and productively to the growth of Southern Italy and the reduction of territorial gaps,” said Vice President Vito Grassi.
“The SEZs represent a privileged tool for developing and enhancing the Economy of the Sea, particularly in the Mezzogiorno, which, with over 45% of the total number of companies and a third of the total number of employees, plays a strategic role in the growth of the entire country. For every euro invested in the Economy of the Sea, in fact, on average almost twice as much is activated, so it is essential to continue along the road already taken to make the most of this tool,” said Vice President Lorusso. For the Extraordinary Government Commissioner for the Campania and Calabria SEZs, Giuseppe Romano, “the synergy with Confindustria is fundamental in the process of attracting investment, which also passes through the careful work of information that we jointly carry out. The single authorisations that have already been issued in the various SEZs are a clear sign of the attractiveness determined by the bureaucratic simplification as well as the tax reliefs”.

Source : Ansa