final balance 2023, accounts in surplus

Bergamo. The final balance sheet of Bergamo Chamber of Commerce as of December 31, 2023 it closes with a surplus of more than 2.6 million eurosa further improvement compared to the already positive result of 2022, which amounted to 1.9 million euros.

The exercise also saw an increase in commitments and interventions to support the provincial economy and local businesses.

President Carlo Mazzoleni recalls that “for the Bergamo Chamber of Commerce it was particularly important to have fully carried out its institutional role of supporting and stimulating the territorial economic-productive world in 2023 in a scenario of strong uncertainty. The initiatives carried out reached close to 13 million euros, between chamber of commerce resources and regional resources managed by the organisation, increasing by over 1.5 million euros compared to the average of the previous 3 years, supporting the positions of Bergamo companies on the national and international markets. The organization has improved its capital and financial solidity: the capitalized surpluses have exceeded 36 million euros with an increase of 5 million in the last 2 years. This allows us to look at future commitments with serenity.”

REVENUES

The resources on which the Chamber of Commerce can count to carry out its institutional functions essentially come from the annual fee due from registered businesses and from the secretarial fees paid by users for the services requested.

THE current income (20.1 million euros) are increasing compared to 2022. The annual fee (13.2 million) he highlighted an increase of 2.5% as a result of the growth in turnover of the previous year, also pushed upwards by inflationary dynamics, which determine the basis for calculating the fee due for many companies registered in the ordinary section of the Business Register. Also for 2023, the integration of 20% of the annual right was confirmed to be allocated exclusively to the implementation of strategic projects of national and regional importance, authorized by MIMIT also for the three-year period 2023-2025: Double digital and ecological transition, job training and tourism.

THE secretarial rights (6.3 million euros) are increasing compared to 2022 due to the introduction of the obligation to communicate data on the beneficial ownership of companies with legal personality, private legal entities and trusts, on the basis of the anti-money laundering legislation dictated by Legislative Decree no. 231/2007 and by Ministerial Decree n. 55 of 11 March 2022. Bergamo companies responded massively to the new requirement: over 26,076 requests were received by the Companies Register, totaling an increased income of 780,000 euros. Contributions and transfers are in line with 2022, including active leases, agreements for the SUAP service associated with the Chamber of Commerce, and proceeds for the management of commercial activity services, such as brokerage services, the sale of the Building Works Bulletin and the rental of conference rooms.

The financial management shows a positive result due to the absence of debt of the organization and the return of Sacbo dividend distributionwhile the extraordinary management highlights a positive result of 1.9 million euros, mainly due to the recovery of the payment to the Treasury made in 2017 and deemed illegitimate by the Constitutional Court with sentence no. 210/2022, as well as contingent assets for annual rights and for lower debts relating to promotional activities from previous years partly not carried out by third parties.

EXPENSES

In terms of expenditure, the Bergamo Chamber of Commerce notes a slight reduction in internal personnel expenses due to lower provisions for severance pay and a reduction in operating expenses, due in particular to the failure to pay the sums calculated pursuant to Law no. 190/2019 (2020 Budget Law) for measures to contain public spending. However, the corresponding amount was prudentially set aside in a fund for future expenses.
Spending on economic interventions reaches the share of 8.5 million euros exceeding the previous year by almost 270,000 euros. The resources were mainly allocated to the provision of contributions and vouchers to businesses and to the implementation of initiatives to stimulate internationalisation, innovation, sustainability and tourism, as well as to support important cultural interventions in the year that celebrated Bergamo Brescia as the Italian capital of culture.

However, if we also consider the regional resources resulting from the Chamber’s participation in initiatives and calls for tenders within theAgreement for the competitiveness of the Lombardy chamber systemthese resources reach i 13 million euros. The interventions in question were aimed in particular atenergy efficiency (1.9 million)alland new businesses (1 million), at businesses historical (0.8 million)to the development of the quality of artisan sector (0.2 million)to promote the digitalisation of production processes and circular economy solutions (0.1 million).

In particular, we note the increase in innovation interventions with contributions and digital vouchers for over 1.3 million granted through the “Punto Impresa Digitale” and “Solutions Innovative 4.0”, as part of the project of the same name financed by a 20% increase in the annual fee. In 2023 the Chamber also allocated a portion of the patrimonial fund deposited with the Bergamasca Onlus Foundation in favor of social projects to be carried out in the province.

Interventions on the subject continued also in 2023 training, assistance and consultancy for businesses organized in collaboration with Bergamo Development and the local trade associations, which totaled over 2 million euros. The current charges for 2023 (19.8 million euros) are slightly increasing compared to 2022. As part of the digitalisation and simplification initiatives of relations between businesses and public administration, the Bergamo companies’ path to joining the digital drawer continued of the entrepreneur, in addition to the increasingly massive use of electronic dialogue systems with professionals, intermediaries and companies. In 2023 they were released over 4,000 digital devicesbetween first releases and renewals, beyond 4,100 tachograph cards; They were over 7,500 company and accounting books endorsed.

Certification services for abroad they stand above i 33,500 documents, with the proven satisfaction of the numerous users who have joined the company printing system. In terms of dispute resolution, 267 mediation procedures were managed, 50 more than in 2022. Over 343 trademarks and patents were registered by the active desk at the Bergamo Sviluppo offices, in line with the past.

The activity relating to the negotiated settlement of the business crisis, activated at the end of 2021, continues. In 2023, 9 requests were received, compared to 15 in 2022. The Chamber of Commerce has strengthened the periodic dissemination of statistical data on the Bergamo economic system, with reference to the economic situation, foreign trade, registrations in the business register and the workforce, as well as the dissemination of two notes on foreign companies and youth businesses in the decade 2013-2022. In relation to administrative obligations, the Authority has maintained, as in previous years, an average payment time for its suppliers which remains equal to 10 days.

The work of the Bergamo 2030 table, coordinated by Bergamo Chamber of Commercewithin which the three projects financed by the PNRR were monitored: “New European Station of Bergamo”, “TEB2” and “eBRT-Path of Knowledge”.

The position paper was also developed “Centrality of the Bergamo mountain and valley systems” and the drafting of a second position paper has begun “Infrastructure, logistics and balanced development of the territory”.

The president adds Carlo Mazzoleni: “Among last year’s initiatives, I would like to mention MADE, the innovative project dedicated to business culture narrated through the language of cinema. Conceived by the Chamber of Commerce as a contribution to ‘Bergamo Brescia Italian Capital of Culture 2023’, it represents a new piece of the concrete support that the Chamber provides to the local economy and its businesses. The project received such positive acclaim that it led us to work immediately on the second edition, which will be held from 15 to 17 November”.

Maria Paola Esposito

The general secretary Maria Paola Esposito recalls that “having reconciled process efficiency and attention to management with the implementation of all the ordinary and extraordinary activities that characterized 2023, shows that the Bergamo Chamber of Commerce – at all its levels, decision-making, management and management – has able to carry out its institutional role with efficiency and effectiveness, always keeping closeness to the Bergamo economic community at the centre”.