New steps to help business growth in Sicily

2009 closed for the UniCredit Sicily Territorial Committee, chaired by entrepreneur Josè Rallo, with a healthy set of concrete initiatives to encourage the growth of the island’s economy and of its enterprises. In parallel, the Committee has been working on a series of analyses, comparisons and activities in specific areas related to the main guidelines of regional economic planning, with the aim of contributing to establishing priorities.

The first edition of the training project addressed to Sicilian businesses Cambiare per Crescere (Changing to Grow) was held in April. The initiative, which won the award in the category Initiatives to support local entrepreneurship, last November, by the Italian Association Financial Innovation, involved nine Sicilian SMEs and entailed five days of training, which covered a large number of different business areas. The second part of the project is now underway, which envisages placements in several companies (Sicilian and non-Sicilian) selected for their best practice at national level.

Another feather in the cap of the Sicily Committee is the project addressed to developing conference tourism, which aims to contribute to the growth of the Sicilian economy by enhancing the distinctive features of the territory. Thanks to the financial support of the UniCredit Group, the Sicily Convention Bureau has been set up, a company that is already operational with a detailed marketing and commercial plan which should enable Sicily to achieve good results and to overcome the seasonal nature of tourist flows in the coming year.

More at Uninews.unicredit.it

The European Union clears €2.4 Billion Italian Aid Scheme For Sicily

EasyBourse reports that Italy can invest €2.4 billion in Sicily to promote regional development, the European Commission said Wednesday. The aid is going to be given to the impoverished Italian region in the form of tax credits, which that can be used to offset fiscal or social security payments between the years 2009 and 2013, the European Union’s executive arm said. “I am satisfied that the positive effects of this scheme on regional development outweigh any potential distortions of competition brought about by the aid,” Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said. Sicily is eligible for regional aid as it has abnormally low standard of living and high unemployment.

Source: EasyBourse.com