“The most important thing is trust. If investors feel secure about the future of the country, then they will begin investing,” says European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, to Berlin and Frankfurt, in an interview in today’s Capital.gr.
At the same time, Jyrki Katainen says that “things in Greece are moving in the right direction” with regard to the implementation of the kind of reforms that will make the Greek economy competitive and lure investors. He adds that some of the socioeconomic measures being implemented cause pain to many people, but this is a necessary process for the improvement of the business climate in Greece.
Katainen says that he has spoken to many Greek businesspeople and industrialists and his feeling is that these are the first people who want to invest in Greece. He also says that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) could be of great assistance to Greek businesspeople and companies.
In this context, European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen says that businesspeople can approach EFSI directly if they plan to invest in some sector of the economy but are unable to access bank capital.
However, he says that this is not happening with regard to Greece because there is lack of trust in the future of the country, but also because many Greek businesspeople, including Greek authorities, are unaware of the existence of EFSI. Katainen says that there are plans under way to change this, noting that he has personally visited Athens recently in order to inform different parties about the role of EFSI and said that the European Investment Bank has increased its presence in Greece.
Katainen says that EFSI can be a quick way for small and medium-sized Greek businesses to access necessary capital for investment purposes. Greek businesspeople can get in touch with the European Investment Bank for access to capital investment without government approval.
Katainen went to say that over 20 countries are already making use of EFSI, and hopes that Greece will be next.
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