Licordari (Assobalneari), without concessions plus unemployment

In Calabria protest assembly against the ruling of the Council of State

“We must dispel a myth: the seaside company pays a fee that is requested by the State.

Furthermore, VAT is 22% and no one says this. This VAT compared to the 10% VAT valid for all tourism businesses is worth more than 4 billion euros.

Do you know how much rent we pay with 4 billion euros? Furthermore, no one says this either, we pay the IMU as we are not owners. And, above all, we create jobs.”

This was said by Fabrizio Licordari, president of Assobalneari Italia, speaking in Lamezia Terme at a protest assembly organized by Assobalneari Italia and Assobalneari Calabria, with the support of FederTurismo Confindustria in light of the recent ruling of the Council of State which obliges the administrations to disapply any exemptions to 31 December 2024 regarding concessions to beach establishments.

For the president of Assobalneari “the Meloni government and all the political forces of this government have contributed in an important way to carrying out the reconnaissance of the Italian coasts for the first time, because European legislation says exactly this. Article 12 of the directive that everyone is invoking, this famous Bolkestein directive, says that tenders are held only if the resource is scarce, meaning by resource, in this case, portions of the coastline. This technical table was established by law by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the result was that 67%, almost 70%, of the coasts are still usable. The appeal we are making is to Europe, that is where action must be taken.”

“In Calabria – said Licordari – there are around 1190 concessions. A very important heritage. With bettors in the dark, these Calabrian seaside concessionaires who were gamblers, because they invested, they did and today they find themselves without certainties. I find this unfair.” “Those who have made this bet over time – the president of Assobalneari said – by investing, creating companies, providing employment, creating an economy in the area must be helped and not demonized as happens in much of the media which practically classifies them as usurpers, people who pay little and earn a lot.”