(Finance) – “We thank the Minister for the invitation to this roundtable we are happy to hear the incentive plan launched by the Government for the sector, essential for the companies we represent. However, we underline the urgency of long-term structural interventions to support the fashion sector, fundamental for the economy of our country and at risk of losing skills, quality and numerous jobs”. Giovanna Ceolini, President of Confindustria Accessori Modain a note released at the end of sixth meeting of the “National Table on the Fashion Sector” held in the presence of the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso.
“As we know – he continues – many production districts are at a standstill and, although thanks to Legislative Decree no. 160/2024, a wage integration intervention by the of INPS for companies with less than 15 employees, including the textile, clothing, footwear, tanning and leather goods sectors, to offer income support and face the crisis, the problem remains for the largest companies, which represent the majority of the sector. For this reason, we hope for a further measure for 2025, such as the resetting of the meters or a special redundancy fund model similar to the pandemic one, to also support SMEs in difficulty”.
The data processed by Study Center, underlines Confindustria Accessori Modaconfirm the Federation’s concerns, reporting in the first 9 months of 2024 an increase in CIG requests of +139.4% for the leather supply chain compared to the same period of 2023. These levels – lower in the last 15 years only than the record authorizations of the first 9 months of 2020 and 2021 in the midst of the pandemic – are four and a half times higher than those of January-September 2019 (+357.4%) and +12, 8% compared to those of the first 9 months of 2010, during the global economic crisis. Significant increases are recorded in all the main districts; some details: Lombardy +60%, Veneto +59%, Tuscany +218%, Marche +178%, Campania +175%.
“We appreciate the Government’s efforts in reshaping bank loans and promoting initiatives such as the ABI circular and the work with Simest, but we must highlight the lack of an automatic moratorium on financing for all businesses, regardless of their state of difficulty. The recalendarization of the loans guaranteed by Sace, Simest and Mediocredito is, to date, left to the discretion of the banks, creating imbalances between companies.
Businesses need at least the postponement of short and medium/long term loan installmentsas well as responses on the requests for suspension of contributions and tax payments and on the extension of the regulation of the SME Guarantee Fund, already extended to 2025 by the Budget Law. Furthermore, access to credit is fundamental to allow companies to invest, including in projects linked to sustainability, an essential objective for the future of the sector and the economy” he adds.
“We know we continue to repeat ourselves, but the issue of the tax credit still remains open and blocks companies, which consider it unfair and, fearing having to return the sums received in 215/19 in a legitimate manner, find themselves in difficulty in launching innovation and ecological and digital transition programs that the same incentives propose due to the lack of liquidity necessary to support them balance and write-off at 50% announced several times for the companies involved, it was not implemented. The spontaneous repayment procedure of the credit, which expired on 31 October 2024, appears to us not to have been successful, both due to the injustice perceived by the companies and the lack of funds”.
“For this reason we ask for updates regarding the 2025 Budget Law which, as has been announced, provides for a capital contribution for those who have joined the repayment, and urgent measures for companies, such as the interruption of the Agency’s controls of Revenue and the adoption of a rule for a ‘balance and write-off’ for all companies, to avoid financial crises and lengthy disputes. Finally, we thank the Government on the initiative of the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso for having adopted an annual bill on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises which brings financial measures for the aggregation and support of the fashion sector. We will work with our companies to raise their awareness of sustainable growth projects, awaiting transmission to the Chambers for the start of the parliamentary process” concludes Ceolini.