Placing entrepreneurship at the core of Greece's development model is a prerequisite for the restart of our economy

Recently, I had the opportunity to take part in the "Economy Restart" special edition by the Athens News Agency - Macedonian Press Agency (ANA-MPA). Here are the main parts of my discussion with Maria Tsivgeli, chief editor of the edition.

Q: In the post-covid era, do many people think that a new development "restart" is needed in the Greek economy? Under what conditions do you think the restart of the Greek economy can be achieved and what can it include?

A: The early period of the Covid19-era is rich in learnings and useful case-studies, from which we are called to learn about the coveted restart of the Greek economy and get inspired on ways to approach and achieve it. We joined forces and we all managed (State, civil society, business, scientific community) to work together responsibly and in solidarity. We learned to listen to science, our trust in institutions was reinstated and the challenging exercise of public-private partnerships was put to practice.

A necessary condition for the next day is to place entrepreneurship at the core of Greece's development model. In fact, there is no other way for us to be competitive, especially on the international stage, given that entrepreneurship is defined by the characteristics we need: Extroversion, investment in research and developement, permanent jobs, highly skilled workers and the much coveted feat of connecting education with the needs of the market.

Another condition is, of course, the way in which we will go about the restart.

If anything, the recent past teaches us that the way to restart is defined by the "together" mentality and the exponential advantages it offers. It goes without saying that now entrepreneurship must be inclusive, open to everyone and leaving no one behind. Collaboration ought to be our guide for an immediate restart and a catalyst for sustainable development.

Q: Will large companies contribute to a new growth "restart" after the end of the coronavirus (COVID-19)?

A: As the days go by, we realize that the pandemic, among many other issues, has redefined the "big company" and what we have traditionally associated with it. It is no longer a company that is huge in size or history, but one that is characterized by innovation, extroversion, strategic vision and especially the ability and the will to provide big solutions to big problems.

At the same time, in any big initiative, in any restart, big companies contribute substantially, only when they are at the forefront of big solutions.

Εspecially now, the emergence of social and economic surplus from the operation of large companies is evolving into a more important result than simply making profit for companies. Let me take Papastratos as an example, a company that exports 80% of its production, creates new and well-paid jobs and operates as a hub of technological and operational innovation, offering valuable access to knowledge horizontally.

All this is happening without neglecting the central role that, as a large company, it has to play in civil society as a whole. And it happens when entrepreneurship is infused with the transformative power of inclusion; and when people recognize the part of responsibility that falls upon us and to take on.

Q: How does Papastratos support small-sized retail companies , the "backbone" of retail, in the new environment as it is shaped in the post-covid era?

A: The harsh reality is that at the moment of 21,000 small-sized retail companies and 43,000 employees are facing a new impasse as the pandemic created additional obstacles to the existing problems from the previous, decade-long financial crisis. This might sound small but it is an industry that annually contributes to the state coffers € 2.8 billion in revenues from the VAT and VAT on tobacco products.

We are uniquely positioned to know first hand the huge obstacles that these small, family businesses face every day due to our shared path in the 90-year history of Papastratos. That is why we stand by them in this uphill battle through our "Synexizoume Mazi / We Continue Together" initiative, the integrated program of support for the small-sized retails shops.

The immediate provision of liquidity of up to 10 million euros in thousands of retail shops is the first pillar of the program. The second pillar aims to significantly reduce the operating costs of these points, through central agreements we have reached with key sectors such as energy, telephony and consumables so to provide discounts and preferential offers. While the third pillar focuses on preparing the industry for a sustainable future, through the training of professionals and the modernization and digitization of their businesses.

"Synexizoyme Mazi / We Continue Together" aims to complement the measures of the Greek State and is a natural continuation of the cooperation between the State, business and civil society that has clearly proved during the lockdown period that it is a capable and necessary condition in order to find effective solutions to major problems our society faces.

The program is live and has been met with enthusiasm as we already had 1000 participations in the first 72 hours of its operation. The immediate help to an actual problem and the extremely promising first results, create optimism for its continuation, in orderfor all these small-sized retails shop to unleash their great dynamics and become an integral part of tomorrow.

Q: What is your assessment of the next day of the Greek economy, business and Papastratos in particular?

A: It is indisputable that the economic effects of the pandemic will become more and more apparent in the coming months and will have a significant impact on the Greek economy. What is needed is to take advantage of new technologies, rely on science and emphasize extroversion, with the aim of creating a future that will supply the labor market with stable, well-paid jobs across the country.

As for the big companies, all of us who can, should take on our share of responsibility. Creating and protecting a sustainable ecosystem, just as we aspire to do with the program of supporting people and small-sized retail stores. "We Continue Together / Synexizoume Mazi", beyond the initiatives of the program itself, hopefully represents the proper mindframe that can lead us and civil society to a new sustainable model. To a future where everyone is part of.