Maria Cristina Busi, the first female president of Confindustria Catania, has officially taken office. The official investiture arrived today, during the public meeting of Confindustria at the university auditorium, in the former Benedictine Monastery. The new president was welcomed by a parterre which also included the President of the Senate Ignazio La Russa and the Minister for European Affairs, Cohesion Policies and the Pnrr, Raffaele Fitto Raffaele Fitto. His predecessor, the Catanian entrepreneur Angelo Di Martino, resigned after an affair involving alleged protection payments to the mafia. Busi is president of Sibeg, a company that produces, bottles and markets Coca-Cola brand products, active since 1960 in the industrial area of Catania, with factories also in Albania.
Investments and sustainability and teamwork
“I hope that we will become a driving force for the whole of the South. Mine is a good team that supported me during this period of elections, to which I am grateful and on which I count a lot”, said Busi. Its members are: Franz Di Bella and Marco Causarano, vice presidents, Lucio Colombo, Mario Indovina, Arturo Lentini and the treasurer Michele Pennisi. “We already have a whole program of topics on which to intervene. Naturally some take precedence, others will have to be worked on for years, but we will do our best. We must arrive at the centenary of Confindustria Catania, (founded in 1926) in good shape. How companies we have all made enormous investments. The word sustainability means investments. Investing means believing in it.”
Bridging the gap with the North
“The per capita GDP of every Sicilian is still 60% less than that of the inhabitants of Trentino. Our employment rate is stuck at 42%. The percentage of young people who do not study or work is the highest in Italy. Only one in three employed is a woman. It is a sterile whining, but we must be aware of the commitment necessary to bridge the gaps that separate us from the northern regions, supporting virtuous projects and building territorial alliances”, added Busi.
Legality and safety and equality
In the program of the new president of Confindustria there is also space for the issues of safety at work, gender equality and legality. “We will help companies to support investment paths in welfare, in the affirmation of gender equality, in support for female workers and parenting. Specific attention to safety in the workplace must never be lacking. Legality and respect for the rules are and they will be a primary value for us. We will work to combat every form of malfeasance that damages the healthy production system. For this reason, our great thanks and full support will always be given to the institutions and law enforcement agencies that fight illegality on a daily basis. Inclusive policies, support for vulnerable categories and commitment to human capital, represented by women and young people, will be important cornerstones. We must spread the value of gender equality in every social context and create the conditions for young people to stay or return on the island that formed them”, concluded President Busi.
