“Our country has – both in the primary and secondary sectors – significant productive potential, which must be exploited,” the Minister of Development said in an interview with the newspaper “Parapolitan”. Specifically, Takis Theodorikos stated that “For a long time many considered Greece a country of services. However, our country has – both in the primary and secondary sectors – considerable productive potential, which must be exploited.” In this context, the Minister stressed that we are implementing the new production model with the central element of the reindustrialisation of Greece: 17 are upgraded and 3 other industrial parks are developed with a subsidy of 44.2m euros. The Smart Processing programme for investment projects with EUR 85 million is developing. We are developing actions for the strategic autonomy of our country in health, nutrition and raw materials. We invest in the digital and green transition, aiming to reduce production costs for the competitiveness of Greek products and a significant increase in exports. Policies that are a prerequisite for sustainable development with social cohesion, more and better paid jobs. As it must now be made clear to everyone – after the pandemic and wars that are evolving in our neighbourhood – that we should be able to rely on our own forces. Reindustrialization is a condition of security and perspective. It can connect the country to global Hellenism and become a beacon of return for the Greeks who left in the years of the crisis. Er. Why does food inflation in Greece insist? What measures can you take in addition to this, but also more generally on the major issue of accuracy in the coming months? A. Food inflation in our country in recent months has been constantly falling. Eurostat announced 1% for June, below the European average. Minus 1.92% gave IELKA, the Institute for Retail Consumer Goods Research. These are positive developments. But, under no circumstances are we complacent. Mr Papahliminzo, I do not want anyone to have any doubt: we will do everything in our power to support the average Greek family, the households that are having trouble getting along. With our policies we aim not only to deescalate prices, but to increase the disposable income of citizens. We support the Independent Competition Authority: free competition is in the interests of consumers. As of course we support the Consumer Advocate, an institution with important work and account. We are expanding the e-katanalotis platform with new codes because we believe in transparency and that the informed consumer has power. We look forward to the positive response of healthy entrepreneurship. Both the food industry and the supermarket business. You are also aware of the Prime Minister’s intervention in the European Commission on multinational practices. We expanded the price control measures by the end of the year and went on to increase the maximum fines: from EUR 1 million to EUR 5 million the maximum fine for violating the provisions of the ceiling and from EUR 2 million to EUR 6 million the maximum fine for breaching the provisions on prohibition of promotional actions when an appreciation has been made. Er. Are you satisfied with the functioning of control mechanisms on the market? What can be done to improve them? I would like the control mechanisms to be much more effective. That’s why we’re empowering DIMEA with new executives. But it’s not just the central mechanisms. The regions have an important role to play, which is why I met with regional leaders to activate controls across the country. To mobilize in battle to reduce the cost of living and deescalate the prices of products and services and to the joint effort to implement the legislation, by which excess profit is dealt with in a range of products and in a number of around oligopolistic situations. We must all fight this battle together and achieve the improvement of the standard of living of Greeks together. Er. How will you strengthen the Competition Commission to better carry out its task and what requirements do you have for the results of its work? We support the Competition Commission with 50 new executives. These are specialized staff – legal, economists and IT scientists – who will be recruited, as decided at a meeting under the Prime Minister, under the responsibility of the Authority, in consultation with the ASEP. At the same time, the Ministry of Development will do whatever is necessary and what the Competition Committee recommends in order to improve its logistical infrastructure, the building and anything else requested, in order to act as effectively as possible. A guarantee for free competition, which works in favour of the consumer, is the strong independent principle of the Competition Committee. Er. Attracting foreign direct investment is a major issue for the country. What do you plan to do to attract foreign funds and investors? A. The economy of Greece is growing at a rate of 3 and 4 times the average of Europe, it has been described by Economist as the country of the year, the country with the greatest improvement of the business environment, the greater improvement of the quality of democracy index. Stability in our country has helped improve its investment attractiveness. In 2019 – 2023, Greece attracted 27.9 billion euros from foreign investors. Greece plays a leading role in the wider region, exploiting its position as a member of the European Union and its strategic relations with powerful allies such as the USA. The positive points that we are talking about do not mean that we must rest assured. We still have a lot of work to do to deal with bureaucracy. We must eliminate all obstacles and factors that make investment difficult.