Year II November-December 2010 n. 9
in san marino
C ONTENTS
INFORMATION MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO
INTERVIEW Claudio Podeschi, Minister for Health Meeting San Marino - Slovenia Impressionists in San Marino Mission to India Members’ area
E DITORIAL Massimo Ghiotti - General Manager
What a country can do to become competitive is to a large extent in its own hands Mario Monti – economist Protectionism and free trade. Outsourcing and employment. Self-sufficiency and competitive edge. Many are the contradictions and issues which the debate on globalisation brings with it. Ethical, social and economic issues that overwhelm and pervade the lives of individuals and strongly affect the equilibriums of States. Controversial issues which the European Union has tried to address by defining a specific growth strategy contained within the Treaty of Lisbon, which attempts to reconcile sustainable development with social cohesion and the protection of the environment in a system of free competition. But the crisis which companies have been forced to address over the last two years has again brought to the fore the age-old discourse on the role of the State in economic development, on its capacity to favour it and speed it up, by adopting or not direct intervention measures as regards
monetary, trade and tax policies. Variables these that have the ability to condition the economic universe and the expectations of businesspersons and investors. On the one hand, it is easy to appreciate how, in periods of economic downturn, Governments tend to stimulate domestic consumption by focusing on a sense of belonging to the community and on the axiom whereby spending one’s money in local economic concerns means supporting the area as a whole and therefore has positive benefits for the entire population. On the other hand, it is precisely in times of crisis like these that companies are fielding their resources, their capacity to innovate to remain competitive on a market that counts potential consumers at global level. For these reasons, it is important to provide economic operators with support in the complex process of acquiring cognitive, technological and bureaucratic instruments to help them grow and make their endeavours more effective, both in and outside the local area. And this is precisely the approach adopted by the Chamber of Commerce in
its activities in favour of San Marino companies. Activities that start precisely with the promotion of local economic concerns to which is provided informative and formative backing, through the organisation of targeted events and initiatives, assistance in dealing with bureaucratic formalities in accordance with precise standards laid down in the Service Charter, support in favour of young entrepreneurship and by acting as a go-between with the Public Administration. On the other hand, the broad range of initiatives dedicated to internationalisation, the setting up of the Club Estero, the seminars, a whole range of publications in English – including a website packed with regularly updated information – and relations with the diplomatic corps point to a strong desire to open the horizons of San Marino companies and introduce them to new scenarios. This of course means increasing skills in order to find a place on the international economic scene and therefore harmonising the protection of local enterprises with globalisation – a challenge which, more than ever today, we are called upon to take up.
in san marino
november-december 2010 1