(Finance) – This morning it was held at the headquarters of Confindustria in Rome, the meeting reserved for companies associated with Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo on the Mattei Plan.
He participated in the initiative, which took place behind closed doors Antonio Gozzi, Special Advisor European Strategic Autonomy, Mattei Plan and Competitiveness of Confindustria, Fabrizio Saggio, Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister and Coordinator of the Mission Structure of the Mattei Plan, Queen Corradini D’ArienzoCEO of Simest, together with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. The delegates of the associated companies were able to delve deeper into the opportunities deriving from the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Africa and present their investment plans on the continent.
The meeting was also an opportunity for a in-depth dialogue with the Mission Structure for the Mattei Plan for Africa and scored a further step in confrontation with the institutions on the contribution that the Italian private sector can give to the implementation of the Plan and the projects in the nine pilot countries.
“The Association’s activities are fully part of the attention strategy that the Government is dedicating to Africa” he underlined Massimo Dal Checco, President of Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo. “The Mattei Plan, in a long-term strategic vision, contributes to strengthening coordination between public and private actors operating on the continent. For Italian companies, institutional accompaniment, the support of the diplomatic network and financial instruments, such as those offered by Simest And CDP and of SACE are essential to operate in these markets. The presence today of the Piano Mattei Mission Structure is a sign of involvement of the private sector and attention to the contribution that Italian companies of excellence can provide in the implementation of growth projects on the continent and in the strengthening of stable and mutually beneficial industrial partnerships with African countries”.
In his speech, the Plenipotentiary Minister Fabrizio Saggio, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the Council of Ministers and Coordinator of the Mission Structure of the Mattei Plan, he highlighted: “On this important occasion I would like to underline that the Mattei Plan is first and foremost a project of national interest. To function, it needs all the actors of the Italian system, from the institutions to the private sector, of which you represent numerous here. In fact, it is thanks to your fundamental contribution that the projects can be launched, in a coordinated manner and in the spirit of an equal partnership, based on a method based on listening to the needs of our African interlocutors and the objective of achieving of mutual benefits.
From water, to agriculture, to training, which permeates the Plan’s initiatives across the board, the projects launched following the Italy-Africa Summit at the end of January are numerous and will continue to grow also in terms of further countries that may be added to the Plan thanks to the support of the innovative financial instruments that were established in these first months in constant coordination with the Farnesina. The Mission Structure for the Mattei Plan present here today is available to companies to explore this national system perspective”.
Furthermore, during the meeting they were the new financial instruments to support businesses were technically presentedincluding Simest’s new Africa Measure, presented by CEO Regina Corradini d’Arienzo, who declared: “Africa has taken on a central role for the competitiveness and growth of Italian companies. Among the many positive indicators recorded on the continent, I remember the high percentage of “young people”, the abundant presence of strategic raw materials, the vast availability of arable land and the significant volumes of annual infrastructure investments. Through the Measure Africa, SIMEST (CDP Group) – under the direction of the Farnesina – undertakes, within the Mattei Plan, to support Italian companies in seizing the growth opportunities coming from the continent. The Measure was developed following a constructive dialogue with trade associations and entrepreneurs, and allows us to support, among other things, not only Italian exporters in Africa, but also importers of strategic raw materials and above all those who still does not operate in Africa. In fact, we intend to finance all those companies in the Italian supply chains, many of which are SMEs, which are not yet exporters, so that they strengthen their competitiveness in international markets, and specifically in Africa, finding new outlet areas for the excellence of Made in Italy. Added to this is the possibility of also financing the training costs of “young Africans” to be employed on the continent or in production sites in Italy, thus contributing to the resolution of the chronic shortage of manpower in certain professions, a need that has been forcefully expressed to us from companies in many sectors.”
They also spoke at the roundtable Lorenzo Ortona – Deputy Coordinator of the Mission Structure for the Mattei Plan, together with Fabrizio Lobasso, Deputy Director of the Country System (DGSP) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio GozziSpecial Advisor European Strategic Autonomy, Mattei Plan and Competitiveness of Confindustria e Antonella BaldinoHead of Business Promotion and Management of International Development Cooperation Operations at CDP.
The Network was also an opportunity for the companies associated with Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo to share and create partnership and networking opportunities and imagine new strategies and common projects to be implemented in the countries of the African continent and in the Middle East.
Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo will continue to promote coordination between the private sector and Italian institutions ea promote an industrial strategy for the development of local partnerships on the African market that bring added value, employment and know-how to local production chains, in line with the priorities outlined by the Mattei Plan. The Association stands ready to contribute to ongoing and future projects, as well as to highlight private sector priorities in the designation of new countries and pilot sectors.