Bank of Italy report, positive (but moderate) signs for Calabria

The president of Unindustria Calabria, Aldo Ferraraintervened,
on Thursday afternoon, at the presentation of annual report of the Bank of Italy on the regional economy of Calabria. Below is a summary of his speech: “there punctual Bank of Italy analysis on the performance of the Calabrian economy in 2023 contains important positive signals to be welcomed”.

“Looking at companies, in fact, it is relevant that all the financial, economic and balance sheet indices assets have shown positive performances, consolidating the results of the previous years. These data underlie a topic of strategic importance such as the solidity of businesses: it is therefore possible to plan interventions around it perspective so that the entire Calabrian production sector is strengthened”.

Encouraging signs

“In this sense, the fact that fixed-term employment contracts have increased
indeterminate only reinforces the feeling of greater confidence
of businesses in the future. Furthermore, although in absolute terms the region still has to
make up a lot of ground compared to the country, yet another considerable increase
consecutive increase in the value of Calabrian exports provides further inspiration for
look forward to the growth of our businesses with confidence.”

“The growth of exports and turnover of companies that target a market outside the Calabrian one, therefore, they can be understood as an indication to trace the route towards definition of policies that are increasingly attentive to stimulating the creation of businesses in Calabria that look at markets other than the internal one”.

The birth rate

“The demographic data contained in the Bank of Italy analysis, in fact, they highlight how the “winter demographic” of Calabria (given by the combination of emigration, especially of young people and graduates, reduction in the birth rate and aging of the population) yes translates not only into medium-long term risks for our region, but also into contingent critical issues”.

“That’s why, on the one hand to combat the low birth rate of businesses and on the other to build a production system highly oriented towards the majority populous and rich international markets, it could prove successful to push and incentivize investments in highly digitalised sectors and in the sector technological”.

Attractiveness of the area

“It should be added that the lack of attractiveness of the area described in the document is
must also be attributed to an overall narrative of Calabria on which
intervene: the multinationals that already operate in our region, not only yes
they find it good here, but they want to invest further in Calabria”.

“This aspect is there door to industrial areas: it is now indifferent and urgent that they materialize investments for the redevelopment of areas intended to host settlements productive, otherwise it will be even more difficult to compete with the other regions of the South precisely on attractiveness. It being understood that they remain in this perspective doubts about the prospects of Zes Unica for the South”.

“It’s not a good one news, in fact, the elimination of the tax exemption for the South, which was used to compensate for external diseconomies; furthermore, doubts remain about its adequacy of the resources allocated to the Zes, on their distribution system and on the expiry of November 15th as the final date for the conclusion of investments for which no an extension has yet arrived. Businesses need certainty to be able to plan investments in the coming years”.

Infrastructure

“On the other hand, the efforts being made for investments in airports, the performance of Gioia Tauro which is consolidating and the reduction in construction times of the SS106 Catanzaro-Crotone, which in themselves are already positive factors for growth , deserve to be valorised through policies aimed at building a coordinated ecosystem aimed at stimulating advanced logistics and therefore the role of Calabria in the Mediterranean”.

“Likewise, therefore, while proceeding for the Bridge over the Strait, don’t lose sight of the high-speed trains and the conclusion of the electrification of the Ionian railway line, assets necessary to connect the Calabria to the rest of the country”.

“Finally, in underlining the need to improve efficiency of the bureaucratic-administrative system, we are happy that the Bankitalia data certify there positive impact of public measures in support of private investments: those measures issued by the Region were also born thanks to our document “Agenda Calabria”, demonstrating that the work of listening to companies is done by An industry has been able to translate into actions truly desired by the entire system productive”.