Open letter to Mr. Luis de Guindos, Minister of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness of Spain
Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2024 3:30 am
Dear Minister: As a representative of the Government of Spain at the World Economic Forum being held this week in Davos, I would like to send you this open letter, which I will humbly sign on behalf of the small and medium-sized businesses of this country , to appeal to your responsibility. The objective of this letter is to ask you, for the benefit of each and every self-employed person and small business owner, to undertake an exercise of global leadership, as necessary as it is conscious, within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which in its 2017 edition, which begins today, is dedicated precisely to cementing a new responsible and conscious global leadership.
As you well know, we live in times of change, not only at a social level but also in terms of the business ecosystem. Many of the challenges facing humanity today are linked to the changes resulting from digital transformation and the introduction of new technologies in all aspects of daily life, including in business , which affect both the economy and politics and citizens, from governments to large, small and medium-sized companies.
One of the debates that tends to take on importance night clubs and bars email list at events and forums such as Davos is this one, how to face these challenges imposed by digital transformation. And at this point a problem that we have already denounced at Sage on other occasions and that has become something recurrent comes to light: the big leaders forget to debate on how to address the priorities of small and medium-sized businesses , which represent a not inconsiderable percentage of the business fabric of economies, specifically in Spain 99% of the business fabric, 66% of the GDP and nearly 70% of employment.
The numbers speak loud and clear. The latest study we conducted at Sage shows that nearly 70% of small and medium-sized businesses, internationally, say they do not feel represented by their leaders at economic and business events and forums such as Davos . They are asking the authorities in their respective countries, in this order, to cut bureaucracy, pay less taxes and be able to access new sources of financing.
The SMEs in our country, which mostly share this sentiment (62%), also request lower tax burdens, better fiscal regulation, improvements in employment policies and clear guidance to help them tackle their digital transformation process with guarantees. I have confirmed this myself through a survey that I personally launched last week through social networks and that was answered by more than 2,700 companies in less than an hour.
At the Davos Forum, there is talk of the need to take the reins, at a global level, to revitalize the economy. But no real solutions are proposed to end the bureaucratic obstacles faced by entrepreneurs and SMEs, which slow down the activity and prosperity of their businesses.
As you well know, we live in times of change, not only at a social level but also in terms of the business ecosystem. Many of the challenges facing humanity today are linked to the changes resulting from digital transformation and the introduction of new technologies in all aspects of daily life, including in business , which affect both the economy and politics and citizens, from governments to large, small and medium-sized companies.
One of the debates that tends to take on importance night clubs and bars email list at events and forums such as Davos is this one, how to face these challenges imposed by digital transformation. And at this point a problem that we have already denounced at Sage on other occasions and that has become something recurrent comes to light: the big leaders forget to debate on how to address the priorities of small and medium-sized businesses , which represent a not inconsiderable percentage of the business fabric of economies, specifically in Spain 99% of the business fabric, 66% of the GDP and nearly 70% of employment.
The numbers speak loud and clear. The latest study we conducted at Sage shows that nearly 70% of small and medium-sized businesses, internationally, say they do not feel represented by their leaders at economic and business events and forums such as Davos . They are asking the authorities in their respective countries, in this order, to cut bureaucracy, pay less taxes and be able to access new sources of financing.
The SMEs in our country, which mostly share this sentiment (62%), also request lower tax burdens, better fiscal regulation, improvements in employment policies and clear guidance to help them tackle their digital transformation process with guarantees. I have confirmed this myself through a survey that I personally launched last week through social networks and that was answered by more than 2,700 companies in less than an hour.
At the Davos Forum, there is talk of the need to take the reins, at a global level, to revitalize the economy. But no real solutions are proposed to end the bureaucratic obstacles faced by entrepreneurs and SMEs, which slow down the activity and prosperity of their businesses.