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SME Council Chair: Business in the Danube Delta should focus on tourism and sustainable development
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Danube Delta integrated territorial investment (ITI) area need to focus on tourism and sustainable development, Chairman of the National Council of Private SMEs (CNIPMMR) Florin Jianu said on Friday at the relaunch of the Tulcea county SME Employers Association (PIMM).
According to a press statement, CNIPMMR organized a public debate on supporting ITI SMEs in the Danube Delta under operational program regional development 2014-2020.
"The activity of SMEs in the ITI area should focus on tourism and sustainable development. The 10 percent available for ITI in the operational programs need to be accessed under a public-private partnership. It's the region's duty and obligation that this program is successful and the model is replicated elsewhere. We should not intervene with the harmonious development of the Danube Delta to protect its biodiversity. Our objectives must aim to create companies and support them by grants and revolving credit, and also by developing start-up incubators," Jianu said.
The event also gathered representatives of the business environment, local and central administrations, leaders of employers organizations members in the CNIPMMR, representatives of main financial and banking institutions.
Debates during the conference focused on the Danube Delta Integrated Strategy for Sustainable Development launched in August 2016. Supporting entrepreneurship is one of its main objectives, and it sees the Danube Delta area as a very attractive region with valuable biodiversity and a dynamic business environment.
Currently in Danube Delta ITI area there are around 2,000 companies, 90 percent of them micro-enterprises. Pillar II of the strategy points to improving economy and identifies investment needs such as support for tourism SMEs. Funding opportunities identified in the document focus on creating integrated platforms, micro-loan mechanisms for SMEs and a public-private partnership structure, developing tourism, implementing a support mechanism for SMEs, offering consultancy and training for farmers and workforce in the countryside, and also IT&C support for businesses and funding/aid schemes.