The immediate promotion of a special legislative regulation for fire-affected loans granted with the guarantee of the Greek State is requested, in its letter to the Minister of National Economy and Finance and the Minister of Development, by the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE).
ESEE’s intervention comes in continuation of the initiatives of the Chambers of Commerce of the fire-affected areas and the Central Union of Chambers of Greece, highlighting an issue that continues to burden thousands of small and very small businesses, professionals, self-employed persons, and households.
The letter points out that these specific debts did not arise from ordinary business activity or tax delinquency, but are a consequence of the state support measures established after major natural disasters. The calling of the guarantees and the transfer of the debts to the State, with their burdening by interest and surcharges, has created serious obstacles to the economic restart of many businesses.
ESEE proposes a comprehensive and targeted legislative solution, which includes, among other things:
- recognition of fire-affected loans as a special category of debts,
- possibility of repayment in up to 120 monthly installments,
- significant reduction or cancellation of interest, fines, and surcharges,
- reduced or zero interest rate,
- inclusion of primary debtors, co-debtors, and guarantors in the regulation,
- suspension of compulsory collection measures for compliant debtors,
- possibility of partial write-off of the principal debt based on social and economic criteria,
- allocation of the debt among the jointly liable parties,
- restoration of access for compliant regulated debtors to bank financing, investment programs, and financing tools.
At the same time, the Confederation requests the establishment of a technical working group with the participation of the competent ministries, AADE, the Hellenic Development Bank, the Central Union of Chambers of Greece, the Chambers of Commerce, and the productive bodies of the fire-affected areas, in order to immediately formulate an applicable and sustainable legislative proposal.
As ESEE underlines, resolving the issue is not only an act of social justice, but also a developmental choice, as it will allow viable businesses to rejoin economic activity, maintain jobs, and contribute to the revitalization of local markets, while at the same time turning uncollectible debts into actually collectible revenue for the State.