Although our SMEs are leaders in Europe, our production system still has strong critical elements.
"While counting on an entrepreneurial heritage that has no equal in the rest of Europe - points out the coordinator of the CGIA Studies Office Paolo Zabeo - compared to our main foreign competitors, for example, we suffer from a strong competitiveness deficit attributable, in particular , the absence of large companies. In Italy, in fact, for at least 3 decades these realities have almost died out, certainly not due to the excessive number of small companies, but because of the inability of these large players to withstand the challenge launched by the globalization of markets ".
- We no longer have large companies
Until the first half of the 80, the CGIA reports, Italy was among the world leaders in chemistry, plastics, rubber, iron and steel, aluminum, information technology and pharmaceuticals. Thanks to the role and weight of many large public and private companies (Montedison, Eni, Montefibre, Pirelli, Italsider, Alumix, Olivetti, Angelini, etc.), development revolved around these sectors. After almost 40 years, however, we have lost ground and leadership in almost all of these sectors. And this happened not because of a cynical and cheating fate, but following a natural selection made by the market.
In light of these specificities, the CGIA strongly demands that we return to looking more closely at the world of business, especially small and micro businesses, given that taxation continues to stand at unbearable levels, credit is granted with the dropper, the amount of the commercial debt of our Public Administration (Pa) towards its suppliers is 57 billion and about half of this amount is due to missed payments. The Secretary of the CGIA states Renato Mason:
"Our PA not only pays with an unjustified delay that in December of 2017 cost us a referral to the European Court of Justice, but when it does it is no longer obliged to pay VAT to its supplier. After the introduction of split payment, in fact, the companies that work for the public sector not only endure very long payment times, but also suffer from the failure to collect the value added tax which, while representing a round trip, allowed the companies to have more liquidity to cover current expenses. This situation, associated with the contraction of bank loans to companies in progress in recent years, has worsened the financial stability of many small companies ".
- The performances of our SMEs have no equal
Returning to the data of this elaboration, the performances of our SMEs (with less than 250 employees) are very positive; we also find this result when we analyze the scores of micro-enterprises, that is of the productive realities with less than 10 employees. Regarding both the number of activities, turnover, added value and employees, in all cases our average figure is significantly higher than the European one.
Specifically, the data show that we are in first place in the EU for the number of companies (over 3.719.000) and while noting that in other countries the weight of SMEs is very similar to ours, the role of our micro companies, instead, sees us excel, especially when we compare ourselves with our counterparts such as, for example, Germany.
In terms of turnover, on the other hand, Italy is at 4 in the EU with 2.855 billion euros a year (2016). Only Germany (6.195 billion), the United Kingdom (3.976 billion) and France (3.696 billion) have a higher result than ours. However, when we analyze the incidence produced by our SMEs on the total turnover, among the big companies we have no rivals, even when we analyze the score of micro enterprises.
On the same wavelength, it emerged from the reading of the data referring to the added value: also in this case our SMEs and the very small companies do not have contenders between the main EU countries.
Compared to 14,5 million employees in Italy (figure net of workers in the public sector and some relevant economic sectors), 11,4 work in SMEs, of which 6,5 in micro enterprises. In both cases, the impact on the total number of employees beats any other large country in Europe. As far as micro-enterprises are concerned, we are even in first place (44,9 per cent of the total employed) among all the EU countries considered in this elaboration.
- Actions to revive the country's economy
Finally, the CGIA Studies Office indicates at least 5 interventions that the policy should implement to re-launch the role and function of our SMEs and, consequently, of the country. They are:
1) Strong tax reduction and simplification of the tax system
A fiscal shock is needed to reduce the tax burden by at least 3 percentage points in 5 years. Such as ? Eliminating IRAP for micro and small businesses, abolishing split payments, reverse charges in construction and progressively reducing personal income tax, IRES, IRAP and INPS advances. Furthermore, it is important to reduce the weight of the fiscal bureaucracy which is penalizing especially the very small activities.
2) Promote access to credit
From 2011 to date, live loans to businesses have decreased by 26 percent. It is important to promote concerted action with other States and with European institutions so that the ECB disburses special loans to banks with destination restrictions in favor of micro and small enterprises. Furthermore, it is necessary to activate alternative financing instruments to bank credit. Finally, all companies must be allowed to offset the receivables from the public administration (certain, liquid and due) with all tax debts.
3) Return to investing
Compared to the 2007 (pre-crisis year) in Italy investments fell by almost 20 percentage points. To allow even small businesses to grow and create jobs, it is necessary for the central State to return to investing in tangible and intangible infrastructures, bypassing the budget constraints imposed by Brussels. Such as ? Applying, after having found an agreement with the other EU countries, the budget rule ("Golden rule") according to which public investments can be separated from the calculation of the deficit in order to respect the stability pact between member states of European Union.
4) Encourage interventions for work and training
It is essential to relaunch vocational education and training from the point of view of a supply chain that puts the dual system into effect (alternation between school / work and apprenticeship), economically supporting the "frontier" technical and vocational schools. Furthermore, the incentives to favor the entry of young people into the labor market must also be made stable and not limited over time, even as new entrepreneurs.
5) Investing in business 4.0 and in the use of digital
Until now the effects of the 4.0 enterprise initiative. they involved almost exclusively medium and large companies. We must also think of the micro-enterprises and the artisans who undertake the digital transformation path with the same communicative interest, the same bureaucratic preferential lanes and the same special resources attributed to start-ups and technological SMEs.